


Alphas, and How to Dominate

by Hayato (FoxofPerdition)



Series: Flames and Pheremones [1]
Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Father-Child Relationship, Gen, Genderfluid Character, H I A T U S, Hiatus, LGBTQ Themes, corresponding tag on tumblr: ALPHAS AND HOW TO DOMINATE
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-06
Updated: 2017-10-19
Packaged: 2018-08-19 22:22:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 31,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8226635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FoxofPerdition/pseuds/Hayato
Summary: Reborn learns slowly, as he teaches his new, odd student, that Iemitsu is a fucking idiot, and the mafia can't spy for shit anymore.





	1. Pistol Whip

Tsuna was fairly sure that if you were on the outside, viewing humanity, you would hate it within a day.

“Hey, Dame-Tsuna, why don’t you come back! We’ve got tons of sweets and flowers, and we’ll even take you out~!” Tsuna hunched further into themself with a sigh, ignoring the catcalls behind them. Except they were less catcalls and more outright harassment from people who wanted to beat the shit out of them. They weren’t having a good day.

It wasn’t that one of the girls in class had presented and people fawned over her to no end, or that their teacher yelled at them again for not staying awake- thanks, insomnia-, or that their mother had shot him _that_ look when he left for school. It was mostly _this_ , combined with their confident certainty that the assholes were going to chase them until they were three houses away from their own house after school.

A trill went through the air and oh look, it was the bell, time to start running and pray that they didn’t get caught. The teen were sure they knocked someone over in their mad dash down the hall, but they didn’t particularly care since most people around here were bags of trash that talked.

“C’mon Dame-Tsuna, stay for a bit! We just want to play a little!” One of them called, picking up speed to follow. Tsuna grit their teeth and tried to hurry faster, _just make it to the staircase and jump down, they’ll be too stunned-_

“You are disrupting the peace of Namimori Middle. For this infraction, you will be bitten to death.” A dark voice growled from _somewhere_ in the hallway that was quickly not being packed anymore, and the idiots behind him squealed in terror as Tsuna ducked down the stairs, managing to protect their head with their arms. Someone in the way yelped and swore, but they didn’t care as long as they were still getting away from the practical torture scene.

“Well that’s something I don’t have to worry about today.” Tsuna muttered under their breath, adjusting their bag so it wasn’t flush against their chest. Some were giving them strange stares, but the teen quickly made their way out and past the gate. It’s not like they didn’t have an inkling of WHY they were running.

It was a mildly cloudy day out, the sun still there to keep everything bright. They supposed it would have been nice if they cared, but sadly, they just wanted to get home and collapse in something comfortable. The streets were crowded, flooded with the scents of multitudes of people, but it let them blend in, so they didn’t mind.

Tsuna knew they had to finish the homework from Nezu, the ass, who seemed to think they were lying when the teen told him he couldn’t understand what he put on the board. It wasn’t _their_ fault the man had the teaching skill of a comatose rat. But they were still yelled at and given a 30, so, not much to do there.

Pausing at the crosswalk, they let their eyes wander around the other passersby, spotting those they knew and didn’t. As their eyes went over the cafe across the street that everyone had nicknamed The Sewer for their not-at-all-appalling brew, they saw a- toddler? Okay then. Crossing the street, they walked up to it hesitantly, looking to see if there was anyone was with it or if they were right in the hunch that it was alone. Someone had the humor to dress it in a tiny suit, with a small toy lizard perched on the rim of a fedora. There were tiny hairs poking out under the fedora that curled around his head, and Tsuna would have called them some weird type of sideburn if it weren’t for how thin they were.

“Did you get lost, little-” He peered closer for a moment, sniffing, “Guy? I can help you get home if you need to. Or call an officer.” The baby stared at them with what they thought was bemusement, not answering. “I promise I’m not a kidnapper?” Tsuna tried.

“I could knock you down in a second if you tried to do anything.” The kid finally replied, smirking. Tsuna decided to ignore the alarm bells setting off in their mind over a kid that looked barely two talking and decided to shrug instead, letting only a panicked grimace show.

“I’m guessing you’re not a normal kid, then. But do you want help? You have to be new here, with how you willingly went in there.” The kid-probably-not-kid gave him another look, this one more amused than before, and finally nodded. “Alright. You want to ride on my shoulder to make it easier...?” The baby hopped on without a word. Tsuna discreetly tried to pick up a whiff of emotion, distress, anger, or what have you, but there was nothing. _Scent blockers?_

The teen continued walking for a bit, humming under their breath to some tuneless song they didn’t actually remember and sometimes commenting on things to the child perched on their shoulder. When they reached the outskirts of the teen's neighborhood they thought they heard something behind them and paused, listening. There were nothing but cars and the occasional bird in the trees.

“Do you actually have anywhere specific you need to be? Because I’m sort of just wandering back to my house here.” They asked the kid, who had been quiet to this point. He just shrugged, imitating his move from earlier. “I’m taking that as a ‘no’. Mom won’t mind having someone over for dinner, at least. And I can make you coffee better than the Sewer’s.” They reached Tsuna’s house, a cheery little thing that had a small garden in the front. The house was quiet when they went in, and Tsuna silently went about thier business as the kid explored, setting things away and getting ingredients out to cook. It smelled warm in the kitchen, a mix of smoke, sugar, and honey swirling in the air. It smelled like home.

“Your Mama isn’t home?” The kid spoke up suddenly, startling them and making them drop one of the spice containers with a yelp.

“U-uh, no? She helps at the daycare, so I set everything out so we can cook when she gets home. She’s usually here by seven.” Tsuna replied dubiously. “I don’t think you ever told me your name?”

“Reborn. I’m a world-class hitman.” Tsuna turned to stare at the baby. His face was amused, as if he didn’t expect Tsuna to believe him, and Tsuna sure didn’t. But, really, when did you see small children capable of perfect speech wearing suits? And probably drinking coffee, if where Tsuna found him meant anything? And smelling like gunpowder?

Jesus, they just let a hitman into their home with no hesitation.

“I’ll take that at face-value.” They squeaked.

“You never told me your name.”

“Sawada Tsunayoshi. Non-designated. Nameplate’s outside and everything. Um..” They held out their hand hesitantly, wondering if they was reading this right, and then let out an internal sigh of relief as Reborn shook it without a problem. Turning back to the counter they quickly laid everything out before moving to start the coffeemaker. It wasn’t much, nothing like a Keurig, but it got _them_ awake in the morning, which was saying something.

“So what are you doing in Namimori of all places? This isn’t exactly a business hub.” Tsuna asked cautiously, going on a wing and guessing Reborn wouldn’t mind “adult talk”.

“Handling a favour for an old friend. He was quite insistent on it.” Reborn drawled. “I have to train a relative of the Family to take over when he retires.” Tsuna heard the capital in there and paused. That was definitely a capitalised Family in that sentence. This was a mafioso. They was an idiot.

“That’s...” They trailed off. “I’d say interesting, but I mostly feel pity for whoever has to deal with that after being in this town.” Reborn just smiled weirdly. Tsuna sort of thought it looked like a smirk but then decided they weren’t going to think about it. For their sanity.

It went quiet, the coffee brewing quietly as Tsuna leaned against the counter, humming again. “...You don’t really seem like a baby to me.” They commented, watching the brewer. “You’re more like an adult compacted into chibi form than a kid. You haven’t screamed your head off at all.”

“Would you _rather_ I stomp around demanding candy and food?” Reborn asked dryly.

“No!” Tsuna squawked, “I’m good without that! Just- saying.” There was a rustling from the hallway, and the front door opened with someone calling,

“Tsu-kun! I’m home early! One of the pups decided to stage anarchy and take over the playroom so they had the parents pick them up. How was your day?” Their mother bounced in, all smiles and happy and contentment wafting off her. She stopped when she saw Reborn perched at the table, tilting her head. “Ah? T-Tsuna, who’s this?”

“Ciaossu. My name is Reborn. I believe you responded to my flyer, Sawada-san?”

“ _No.”_ Tsuna hissed.

“..Oh, yes, what did it say- ‘I’ll make your child the next leader of the generation’? I just called this morning! I didn’t expect you to show up so quickly- and you said Iemitsu referred you to us?”

“Yes. I’ll make sure Tsunayoshi’s grades improve and stay improved, for just room and board.” _They aren’t even paying attention to me! I’m right here!_ Tsuna despaired, fiddling with the brewer. _And DAD referred him?_ He froze, thinking that over. If Iemitsu had referred the hitman to teach him... Did that mean he was in the Mafia? Did that mean he wasn’t _dead? Shit, what would happen next?_

“Tsuna...” They turned. Their mother had an uncomfortable expression, shifting her eyes away. Oh, they had said that out loud, hadn’t they?

“Is that- this why you always talk about...” They waved an arm for lack of a word, and discretion. She nodded with an ashamed frown. The teen sighed and ran a hand through their hair.

“Am I missing something here?” Reborn cut in. Nana startled, as if just remembering he was there.

“Oh, no, Reborn! Iemitsu’s absence just led Tsuna to some conclusions that weren’t correct.” She said, smiling widely. “Now, why don’t we all get settled so we can work out a plan of sorts?”

 

****

 

Reborn had to say, he didn’t expect the Decimo candidate to be like this.

The file had described him as the perfect image for the “ideal omega” that just hadn’t presented yet; timid to the bone, small, and not that strong or smart. His averages in classes were all below 50 except for Health and English. He was constantly bullied, had yet to present, and didn’t have a friend to his name. By all means, Reborn should have popped in with a kick to the head and put him in his place so training could get underway and have a hold on future decisions. But then the kid had to completely diverge from his usual route home- which wasn’t really a route at all, more like a predictable mad dash from bullies- and find him, and then invite him to follow him despite knowing full-well something was off. He had been calm the whole time, beyond some wariness at letting Reborn follow him home- wasn’t submissive _or_ aggressive. Sawada acted like a beta more than anything.

Strange kid. Barely reacted when he told him he was a hitman beyond some panic. He was sitting across Reborn now, fiddling with a mug full of coffee he doubted the kid actually liked. Not that he could get any read beyond visual, though- it was almost as though the kid was wearing scent blockers, even with the faint scent hanging around him that gave away his (non-)designation. He was fairly certain giving blockers to minours was illegal in Japan. The kid wouldn’t stop fidgeting as his mother went over his fluctuating grades and what he was particularly struggling with from a grade standpoint. Reborn was calmly listening, since this was actually part of his job anyways.

“...But this is all just from a teacher’s point of view- after meeting his teachers in various ‘conferences’, I have to say they aren’t much.” She finished, pursing her lips. “Tsu-kun, what would _you_ say you’re struggling with?” The boy shrank when they both turned their eyes to him, before straightening out and putting on a blank face. Interesting.

“I-I don’t really understand the concepts in Chemistry since Haru-san doesn’t explain them well, and I have trouble with my variables in math. The teacher in Japanese annoys me so I don’t pay attention, and my history book was stolen, so I can’t study.” Tsuna crinkled his nose, scowling. “Everything else is just- tests. I don’t do well with tests.”

“What about Physical Education and Music?” Reborn asked, voice even.

“Have you looked at me?” Tsuna raised an eyebrow, taking a hand from his mug to gesture at himself. “I can’t run without managing to hurt myself. Ergo, I don’t try. As for the last-” Tsuna shrugged, staring down at his cup. “I suck at handling instruments.” The brat was straightforward at least, didn’t panic and deflect. Definitely not in the report. Did those idiots really observe or just go off what they heard?

“Well,” He started, finishing off what was left in his own mug, “It certainly will be difficult, but I’ll do the best I can, Sawada-san.”

“Please, call me Nana or Mama, Reborn. After all, you’re staying here for the foreseeable future!” The woman said with a smile, gathering the papers spread across the table. Tsunayoshi looked like he wanted to burn them or hide the whole stash in a hole somewhere.

“I guess it’s settled, then.” Reborn said with a nod, reveling in the slightly unnerved expression on the teen and the excited one on the mother, “I’ll be tutoring Tsunayoshi until he’s fit to stand on his own.”

 

*******

 

“How involved is my father in the Mafia?” Tsuna asked without preamble, shutting the door to their room and facing Reborn with a frown. The tutor had come up here before him, setting up whatever equipment and things he would need. Tsuna was therefore unsurprised to see him polishing a gun next to a giant suitcase of guns. Wonderful. _Guns._

Reborn seemed slightly surprised that they had figured that little part out, but quickly recovered. “How long have you been on minour scent blockers?”

“Since I started getting harassed for ‘acting like an omega’. Father?” Reborn’s face darkened; he’d have to correct that behaviour right away- that hadn’t been tolerated in the Underworld since Cavallone Quinto took down a whole squad during his heat.

“He runs a division of the Vongola Famiglia called CEDEF. It’s part of the family you’re going to run in a few years.” Tsuna let out a strangled noise, sliding down the door and landing on the ground with a _thump_. “We’re going to have start you on training as quickly as possible, and you’re going to have to start building a Family.” Reborn continued, watching them.

“That’s- great. I-.... great.” A hysterical giggle. “Reborn, you know everyone hates me, right? On some level. I can’t go around my school without getting pushed away or beaten up or threatened with things that make me sick to think about and make me want to carry around mace. I’m scrawny and tiny, and I don’t even know Italian. I’m-” They cut themself off, burying their head in their hands. They couldn’t do this. They couldn’t deal with this when they already had every teacher riding their ass and the _school_ riding their ass and threatening them with expulsion. “I let you in my _house_ ! _Why_ did I do that?”

“Because you decided to ignore the danger and gunpowder and pretend I was normal. Are you done?”

“Why _me?”_ Tsuna grit out. Reborn stared at them for a moment before setting his gun down- an automatic rifle, Tsuna thinks?- and pulling three pictures of nowhere.

“Enrico, gunfight. Massimo, drowning. Frederico, unknown circumstances. They were all the current leader’s sons. You’re the only qualified candidate left.” Tsuna stared at them.

“Is it blood?”

“What?”

“Is it blood?” Tsuna repeated, looking up. “That’s the connection between them, and the only plausible thing that would make me viable. Is it blood?” Reborn paused before giving a slight nod. Tsuna went back to staring at the pictures, a dazed look in their eye. “How- how far back does it go?”

“Your branch of the family was created by the Vongola Primo about five generations ago. He fled to Japan for retirement.”

“...Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Okay. I’m gonna go lay down, wonder how my life’s gonna end now, and hope I wake up on time for school tomorrow.” They heard a click, and suddenly something was pressing against their head with a startling chill.

“Ah, not until you do that homework you were complaining about earlier, Tsunayoshi.” _Goddammit, now he’s a mind reader?_ “No, you’re just painfully forgetful. Next time don’t go blurting things to the stranger you picked up.”

“Okay.” Tsuna squeaked, hurrying to get their homework out so they didn’t get _shot_ or something, who knew what the infant would do. Said infant just silently snorted and rolled his eyes.

“And after that, we’re discussing the abundance of dresses and skirts in your closet.”

 

****

 

Tsuna thanked all the gods in the sky that it was well past an acceptable time for Reborn to interrogate them on their closet by the time they finished going over their homework (which Reborn actually explained, and well, even if it was in an impatient tone). They also thanked the gods that there was only one incident That Was Not to Be Spoken Of that night, and that Reborn hadn’t commented. They woke around five thirty, barely comprehending the alarm was on. Sliding into a sitting position sluggishly, they slapped at the machine until it shut off with a small _beep!_ It took them a few tries, but they got both their feet on the floor and shuffled towards the door, pitching forward and leaning against the wall. They had a feeling someone was watching them but disregarded it in their bid to reach the coffee maker.

They nearly fell down the stairs at the second step, but that was besides the point.

By the time they made it to the kitchen the numbers on the stove were reading 5.40. They didn’t really mind, that was the point, and set to starting the brew. They had a minute until they actually realised there was something behind him due to a scuffle against the floor. They whirled around, lips spread in a snarl and a knife from the cutting board in their hand before the other person had time to react.

“WHO-” Tsuna paused, blearily squinting at Reborn, who was giving them a look saying _The fuck are you doing?_ They fumbled for a moment before gesturing towards the machine with their knife-hand. “You want some coffee?”

“It’s not even six yet.” Tsuna made some noise halfway between a sigh and a grunt and turned back to the machine. “Do you do this every day?”

“Gotta. ‘S that or fallin’ asleep in class.” They paused, staring at the knife as if realising it was still in their hand, before setting it back on the board. “Still do b’cause of insomnia but..” Reborn was silent for a moment, before Tsuna dimly registered that he had pulled a seat out and was probably cozying it up at the table. They knew from experience that if they tried to do that while waiting, they’d fall back asleep until they was screwed on time.

“Does Mamma know?”

“Mmmm.” Did she? They didn’t actually know. She woke about an hour later and never said anything about them being awake. She probably did, knowing her, what with the thing. The coffee maker beeped and they gratefully pulled out a mug, pouring some in and taking a swig with no hesitation. The burn was lovely on the tongue and helped wake them up quite a bit more. They held up another mug in questioning.

“Please.”

“Nothing in it? Sugar, milk?”

“No, thank you.” They poured another cup, sliding it to Reborn as they sat himself. “What do you do for an hour and a half before you head out? Sit around?”

“Make sure everything’s in order and go over homework, honestly.” Tsuna mumbled. “See if I can understand anything the second time around.” They peered at the hitman. “You know, for some reason I expected guns blazing and you shoving me around when you gave up that you were going to make me into a Mafia boss.”

“You flinched and curled into a ball for ten minutes when I just _pistol-whipped_ you.” Tsuna flushed, and oh, there goes the not mentioning it thing. “I can’t use my regular methods in this situation without possibly setting you _back_.” And that seemed to displease the infant, if the annoyance coming off him meant anything.

“Sorry. It’s an instinct by now because of the upperclassmen.” They muttered, sinking down into their seat. Reborn just grunted.

“We’ll have to work around it and change it into a fighting reflex. Those children, however...” A dark glint appeared in his eyes, and his mouth curled into a sneer. “I’m afraid attitudes like that haven’t been tolerated for generations in the Underworld. Be thankful for that, Dame-Tsuna.” Tsuna twitched

“ _Don’t call me that_ .” Tsuna hissed, alert and fucking _posturing_ and wow if that wasn’t surprising after the laid-back act of the last half hour, “If you want to STAY in this house, you do not call me that. Understand? _”_ Reborn nodded, knowing it was best to go along, and watched with a wary eye as Tsuna relaxed and took another sip of their coffee.

“Bit of a sore spot?” He commented lightly.

“You’d have a sore spot if you were called worthless daily by everyone but your mother.” Tsuna snapped, suddenly fed up and not wanting to drink anymore. They stood stiffly, dumping their mug in the sink and quickly rinsing it out. “I’ll be back down in a bit.” Was what they got out before rushing up to their- both theirs and Reborn's, now- room.

This was just a great start.

 

******

 

It was another half hour before Tsuna came back down, and their mother had woken up while they blundered around the upstairs, cleaning themself up and throwing on thier uniform. She greeted them with a peck on the head and a sleepy, “Morning, Tsu-kun.” They’d given her a smile and then stared down the stairs like they led to the gates of Hell. At the flat look their mother was giving him, they knew that she had probably worked out what happened, and wasn’t impressed.

“You’re going to have to deal with him sooner or later, Tsu-kun. And it’s better to keep a nice relationship with the hitman that’s in your room while you sleep.” She whispered. They gave her a pitiful look and decided to ignore everything until it was time to leave. It didn’t help that they actually felt guilty for running off like that, but _oh well_. When the teen left around half past seven, it wasn’t lost on them that Reborn followed, walking next to them on a high wall.

It was quiet for a bit, before, “You haven’t explained the dresses yet.” Tsuna cringed and wondered why their life had come to something like this.

“It’s a thing. I like dresses and skirts.” They grit out quickly, wanting to talk about it as little as they could in public.

“...Should I be using different pronouns when referring to you?” Tsuna blinked and glanced at the hitman. He was completely serious, and, sniffing- yeah, no amusement there.

“‘He’ is alright for now.” A dog barked nearby, running around a neighbor’s yard.

“They say that the Vongola Ottava used to go by Julius before she took up the mantle.” Reborn offered up, watching the road. Tsuna blinked again, and considered that.

“That’s the family you’re training me for, right? Vongola?” Tsuna asked, pulling out of their thoughts.

“Yes. They’re the largest and most powerful family in the Italian territory.” Reborn eyed them, hopping off the wall as it came to an end. “You actually look remarkably similar to the Vongola Primo. I’d expect comments when meet allies of the Famiglia.”

“So-” _Oh hell no_. Making an irritated noise, the small teen ran a hand over their face, resigning themself to the next few minutes of pain.

“Oh, it’s a toddler! Where did you get such cute clothes?” Sasagawa Kyoko asked, smiling down at Reborn. “Ah, and Tsuna-kun! How are you?” They cringed, wishing they could escape; instead, they smiled awkwardly and shrugged in response.

“I-I’m fine, Kyoko-chan. A little tired.” Behind her, Mochida and Kurokawa were watching, with Mochida scowling at Tsuna. Hana ignored it all in favour of staring at Reborn in disbelief.

“My name’s Reborn. I’m a hitman.” Rang out, and Tsuna was just _slightly_ worried when all that followed were giggles and not exclamations of, “Just how are you parents raising you?!?!?”

“C’mon Kyoko-chan, let’s go! We can sit under one of the trees before that freak shows up.”  Mochida whined, one that made Tsuna want to sneer.

“Shut it, you monkey. For once, he’s right though. We should be going Kyoko.” The ginger pouted but nodded, getting up from her crouch in front of Reborn.

“Well it was nice meeting you, Reborn-kun! See you in class, Tsuna-kun.” The trio walked ahead, continuing whatever conversation they were having beforehand. Tsuna watched them go, a slight frown on their face.

“You like one of them. The brunette?” The teen blinked, startled.

“No! Ew. I-” They stopped themself. “I just don’t... like, how she’s practically harassed. Half the class crawls all over her space with no regard just because she’s nice. And people like _Mochida_ -” They glared at the back of the fading upperclassmen. “I’m surprised that Kurokawa hasn’t beaten pigs like _him_ away from the duo completely.”

“She’s an alpha, isn’t she?” Tsuna stared at the tiny hitman with bewilderment.

“Well, yeah.”

“Why don’t you tell her what you think? You’re undesignated, so you’ll have one of the most objective viewpoints on this she could get.” Tsuna opened and closed their mouth, looking away.

“I’m _me_. Who would care what I have to say? It’s not like it’ll matter what I do.”

“That attitude isn't going to do. You need to tell her how you feel as if it was your Dying Will.” _MY WHAT?_ They spun around in time to catch a bullet to the temple, falling to the ground.

Later, Tsuna would shudder and thank that it was their luck that the last few thoughts were about the topic at hand, because Tsuna was pretty sure that if they hadn’t been feeling regret at the moment about it all, they’d be having a lot more trouble in the ‘training’ department. And the ‘staying alive’ one.

Because one second they was regretting letting one of their classmates deal with absolute _pigs_ , and the next they was staring down at their hands with a single-minded focus, only one thought on their mind.


	2. Uppercut

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh guys I've gotten so many kudos on this it's insane quq Thanks much~ I can't guarantee other chapters will be as quick, but this one was pretty easy for me to write, haha.

 

 

Tsuna made a noise akin to a dying cat while Hana and Kyoko bemusedly watched from the side.

“Tsuna-kun, it’s not that bad.” Kyoko chirped, not at all sympathetic and apparently forgetting they were goddamn _Dame-Tsuna_.

“The monkey deserves it, anyway.” Hana muttered. Tsuna had to agree with her but really, was the pomp necessary? The grave offense? _They’d rather not have a medieval duel with their senpai THANK YOU._

According to the girls, they had run up to them in little else than a tank top and boxers, yelling at Mochida. They had berated the boy for constantly stalking a girl and badgering her when she was uncomfortable. The phrase “disgusting swine” was apparently used at least three times. Mochida had taken offense and declared there would be a kendo duel at the end of the day.

Kyoko, while amused to no end, thanked them anyway. A good number of people had been propositioning her, apparently, but Mochida was the only one who wouldn’t quite take no for an answer. Ryohei had yet to know, of course, because no one needed a student to become a smear of blood on the floor.

It made Tsuna wonder, were all Upperclassmen oblivious as shit? The teacher walked in, and the small group scattered as the lesson began. It didn’t necessarily stop the whispers, sadly. The teen ran a hand over their face, resigning themself to it and the dread that would hang over today.

 

* * *

 

Lunch was the same as usual. Tsuna waved quickly to Kyoko and Hana as they scurried out of the classroom; they had their other friends and fans, and they doubted they’d be able to even get near them. That was alright, though; it meant they’d have to deal with less mocking.

Assholes.

They opened the door to the roof quietly, sighing in relief when it was empty of delinquents. For some reason, the degenerates thought it a good idea to come up here when everyone knew it was Hibari’s territory.

Said prefect opened one eye at the noise, but quickly went back to his nap on the bench.

“Bunny.” He muttered, when Tsuna got close enough to hear. The smaller teen smiled slightly.

“Hi, Hibari-senpai. Have you had a good day, so far?” Hibari grunted, and Tsuna left it at that. While they didn’t like the upperclassman’s disciplinary methods, that didn’t change the fact that he was far more tolerable to most other students. It was like comparing spiders and cats; one was absolutely disgusting and slightly terrifying while also being deadly. The other, while also being deadly, is at least soft and willing not to claw your face off most the time.

The two passed the time in companionable silence. Neither noticed (or just didn’t care) about the eyes on them, contemplating.

Reborn watched, slightly surprised. For all that Tsuna was apparently Dame with no associates to speak of, they apparently were friends enough with the idol of the school and the Demon of Namimori that they spent time with them and knew each other more than a fellow peer would. The hitman idly wondered what fucking idiot informant he needed to shoot; the evidence that they did little to no observation was just piling up.

. The bell rang, and Reborn watched as the two parted, Hibari doing little else than twitch. Tsuna didn’t seem to take offense to it, likely used to the behavior.

The rest of the day was run-of-the-mill, up until the last bell rang. The class of students seemed to swell and focus on Tsuna, who shuddered at the feeling of dread running down their spine. They had a distinct feeling that if they tried to escape this, there would be a manhunt. By their peers or the kendo club, they wondered? People crowded and jeered as they walked down and into the gym; most people knew them, and most people knew Mochida. Neither were liked but, well, they were liked least.

Mochida was cackling on the other side of the gym, going on about how he was going to defeat the mousy eighth year. Tsuna ignored him in favour of surveying the crowd. They saw a few disciplinary members milling around, predictably, and spotted Hana and Kyoko on the sidelines. Kyoko waved when their eyes met. That seemed to spur Mochida on, and he must have declared the match to begin. Tsuna ignored the idiots that approached them with heavy armor, ducking into a roll as Mochida approached.

If there was one thing they had perfected to an art, it was not getting hit. Fuck winning at this point, honestly, they just wanted to hurry up and go home. They skittered back as Mochida swung again, wide and vulnerable. Maybe Tsuna could actually get a move in, considering how reckless the Kendo captain was being? _No, the referee is part of the team, t_ hey mused, twisting away, _He’d never call a point in my favour._ They continued to run and duck, leading Mochida around the gym as they avoided the shinai. The crowd was getting cankerous, and Mochida was leaking a rank anger like a sewer pipe. They wouldn’t be able to keep this up for much longer without someone sabotaging them. The thought brought a scowl to their face. As they dashed back near the doors of the gym, Tsuna saw something glint in the corner of their eye.

“REBORN, _WHAT-_ ” The poor kid wasn’t able to finish their sentence as a bullet buried itself in their forehead.

The rest of the duel was boring, really. They went on the offense and hit Mochida with the shinai so hard it snapped. No one could really argue with that, and the idiot upperclassman wasn’t able to considering he was wheezing on the floor. Tsuna would be happy about that if their clothes weren’t utterly destroyed.

The crowd paused, then broke out in cheers. Tsuna sighed, and flagged down a Committee member for a spare uniform.

 

* * *

 

Tsuna was packing up by the time the gym had emptied. They had stashed his things in a fairly empty bleacher, and as far as they could tell, all of their things were untouched. A lucky break. There was a soft thump behind them, and they turned to scowl at Reborn. The hitman was unfazed, smirking like a caught who’d caught a mouse.

“Why did you feel the need to snipe me from a window? I’m pretty sure a head wound wasn’t going to save me from a beating.” They snapped, heaving the bag onto their shoulder. Reborn snorted, tilting his fedora.

“You don’t have a head wound, do you?” Tsuna paused. They didn’t have _anything_ , beyond a trace of blood. They sent a questioning look at the hitman as he held open the door. “It’s a special weapon of the Vongola: The Dying Will bullet.”

“And this bullet somehow manages to... destroy my clothes, and not kill me.” Tsuna contemplated that day. “And make me go nuts?”

Reborn snorted. “It removes your limiters and unleashes your Dying Will Flame, which is essentially compacted energy. Most people also lose their inhibitions when under it influence.”

“That’s inconvenient.” Tsuna scrunched their nose, frowning. “Why does a mafia family use something that blocks your judgement while it powers you? That’s asking for trouble.”

“They’re generally only used by those who do not have experience in using their flames. Like you, for example. Others are able to will them into an active mode, or use other methods.” The street was mostly empty, the sky overcast. It was going to rain soon, hopefully not enough to make everything soggy. They’d lost enough uniforms to people “helpfully” cleaning them.

They mostly just shoved them into the mud and kicked Tsuna in the chest until they were bored.

The house was empty when they entered, Nana still at work. Tsuna went through the normal motions, ignoring Reborn as they set everything out. The hitman only watched.

He was sat at the dining room table when the teenager turned, and they hesitated before sitting as well. They waited for the small man (and yes, Tsuna was determined that he couldn’t be just some freak child) to say something as their shuffled through their bag for his homework.

“Your teachers don’t like you.” It came out of the blue. Tsuna paused in their shuffling, before sitting up with a blank look.

“No.”

“Nana implied-”

“No, I mean No, I’m not talking about this. If you want to discuss actual people in that school, not my grades, then we wait for Okaa-san.” Reborn almost kicked the teenager for trying to protest, but their shoulders were tense, and teeth just slightly bared. This wasn’t something to press for now.

“Put your homework down and go over it, then.” He said brusquely. Frustration was going to be a common thing with this job, wasn’t it?

 

* * *

 

Dinner was quiet, almost tense, with Tsuna avoiding eye-contact and mumbling whenever addressed. Their mother didn’t seem to notice, or pretended not to; Reborn didn’t trust the files he was given enough to actually believe she was as ditzy as observed.

The duo were washing and drying the dishes when Tsuna spoke up, voice calm. “Reborn wants to talk about my teachers.” Movement stopped in the kitchen. Nana was rigid as a cord, gripping the plate in her hands.

She dropped it into the sink in a burst of movement. “Teachers, calling them that- it’s disgraceful!” She turned to Reborn, scowling. “You want to know about them? They brush off anything that happens, not caring about anything but their paycheck! I wouldn’t be surprised if they just walked past someone being pushed down the stairs, or pitched in to help!” Tsuna put a comforting hand on their mother’s shoulder. She shook it off with a huff, running a hand through her hair. She spun back to the sink, scrubbing at the dishes with a vigor.

“Did you know, Reborn, that when Tsuna was pushed out of a third-story window, right after being knocked around enough for a concussion, they blamed them? Despite them having to stay in the hospital for almost a month? They told me that children will be children, and that Tsu-kun probably did something to provoke them.” Tsuna shuffled, grimacing. That wasn’t a pleasant month for either of them. An unpleasant year, really. Nana turned around again, dish in one hand as she gesticulated.

“Every time someone targets my Tsu-kun, they call me to blame them, did you know? Every time the teacher belittles them for their grades despite it being their fault during a conference, I want to scream at them, tear at their face until they quiet themselves.”

“Okaa-san, that isn’t really something Reborn really needs to know.” Tsuna winced. She glanced at them and kept eye contact, contemplative, before something akin to suspicion dawned in her eyes.

“Reborn-san?”

“Yes, Nana?” Reborn shifted in his seat. He was thankful for his scent blockers; his shock would be obvious all the way out to the street. Was it because of the violence or the severity, he wondered?

“I can’t say this has been a recent development, but Tsuna hasn’t been this.... Unlucky all their life.”

Tsuna snorted. “That’s one way to put it. I’m going to the bathroom.” They trudged out quickly, not wanting to be here for the rest of the talk. Nana continued on without pause.

“Why,” pressed a hand to her chin, almost mocking in her pause, “From what I can remember, they were a bright child, even if they hated school. It was only after their father visited when they were five that everything went downhill. Tsu-kun was playing outside with him while I was cooking; but when I went and checked on them, he had suddenly become sick, and Iemitsu and his boss left immediately after, not giving me an explanation. Afterwards, Tsu-kun was never the same, always clumsy and not managing to hold on to anything they were taught. I love them as much as I did before that, but I’ve always wondered about that.” She gave Reborn a pointed stare before turning back to the sink, finishing the load with a quiet home. Reborn sat in silence, letting the implications sink in.

Well. There wasn’t much that could cause such a drastic change so quickly. The implications weren’t good.

He had a call to make.


	3. Feint

Tsuna stretched with a small whine as they woke, wincing as something in their back popped. They were just a bit sore from yesterday, but it proved to be little more than an ache. Kinda surprising, considering how much exercise actually happened. For once. Something to do with being shot in the head? They put the question aside to ask Reborn later.

It was the weekend, bless all in the sky, and Nana had never bothered with cram school, so the schedule was left up to the hitman’s tender mercies. Tsuna didn’t really care for the first hour of the day, all things considered; the majority of it was spent stumbling around, with a brief stint in the bathroom before it was decided _Wow today is not a good day and it’s time to break out the supplies ahhahahahah_ -

Nana didn’t comment when they stumbled down wearing their chest inserts and a baggy pair of shorts, used to her daughter’s methods. She smiled and waved with the spatula in her hand, omurice sizzling behind her in a pan.

“Morning, Tsu-chan! Reborn is in the backyard, doing-” A loud bang rang out, making Tsuna jump. Nana’s smile turned into a grin. “-well. That. He’s not very happy today, heavens know why.”

“....Mom.” Nana hummed, having turned back to the stove. “Mom, I’m not one of the neighbors, and you’re really obvious. C’mon.”

“Welllll~” A plate hefted with breakfast was plopped in front of Tsuna. “I may have mentioned some things after you went upstairs last night! And it _meant_ something!”

“Mom, noooooo-”

“Mom yes! Hopefully, now, things will be better! And eat that all, Tsu-chan, don’t just push it around with your fork.” Their mother berated. She huffed, hands on her hips. “You’ll never grow taller if you don’t eat as much as you can!”

“I think I’ll just grow out, not up, if I do that, mom.”

“Eat!”

* * *

Tsuna reluctantly headed out into the backyard once it hit noon, more than a little concerned that no attempts to threaten them with learning had been made. They hated it of course, since math and science _sucked_ , but they also like having better grades, so. Hm.

“Are you done murdering-” They peered over, “Old booze bottles? I’m pretty sure they’re a poor substitute for whoever, anyways.” The hitman huffed, fedora downturned so his face was hidden. Tsuna sorta wanted to ask if he was alright, but also not because hey, they valued their life? The duo sat in silence for a time, watching the grass sway as the wind went by.

Reborn finally broke the quiet, painfully nonchalant in a way that belied his still-present anger. “You’re looking different.”

“Friday is not indicative of every day.” He hummed in response, not commenting further. They were thankful.

“Someone’s coming from Italy, soon. His name is Gokudera Hayato, the Smokin’ Bomb. I was hoping to have him test you, pull your flames out some more.” He paused, and Tsuna felt a but in there.

“And?”

“And it’s looking to be a change of plans. You need someone your age to ease you better into the Underground, and he needs someone who he can latch onto. It’ll bring an asset into the family and give me time to fix things. Tit for tat.”

“I...” Tsuna trailed off. “Fix things?” Reborn hummed again in lieu of an answer. The teenager huffed. “Well, okay then. He won’t be crazy about the arrangement, will he? I’d rather not have some mafioso toting weapons around, because Hibari _will_ kill him.”

“Reborn?”

“At least answer me!”

* * *

Gokudera showed up the next day in school, as a transfer student in Tsuna’s homeroom. Coincidentally, of course. He was bedecked in jewelry and piercings, with a scowl and unlit cigarette to perfect the picture of “punk”. He ignored the class as it burst into whispers and squeals, choosing to take the seat directly behind Tsuna. The teacher was glared at when he started to protest, and, well, that was that.

Kyoko practically skipped up to them at lunch, giving both Tsuna and Gokudera a beaming smile. The other teen had set himself to silently follow them after scaring off his admirers, and they didn’t have the heart to tell him that wasn’t a good idea. Hibari would just have to go without their lovely company for a day.

Ha.

They really hoped they wouldn’t be hunted down later.

“How are you doing, Tsu-chan, Gokudera-kun? Do you like the school so far?” The ginger chirped at them. Tsuna glanced at Gokudera, who was looking pretty bewildered at anyone acknowledging his presence.

“It’s fine.”

“Aa, just fine? Are you planning to join any clubs, or maybe sports?” Gokudera was looking more and more confused, and it made them kinda guilty to feel amused over his face. But he was so puppyish! Did his.... Previous family? Just not pay attention to him? Tsuna plopped back down in their seat as Gokudera tried to stutter out an answer, eating through their bento slowly. Kurokawa gave them an unimpressed glance, but she was probably as amused as them, so she couldn't judge.

“Whatever Juudaime is in, I guess.” He finally gritted out. “ _Why_ are you talking to me?” Kyoko paused, blinking.

“...Because you’re Tsuna-chan’s friend? You two seemed to recognise each other, and you were going to go eat lunch together...”

Tsuna finally cut in, popping a slice of egg into their mouth. “He’s a distant relative of my dad- we just haven’t seen each other in a while. He’s never been here, so..” They smiled crookedly at the boy’s gobsmacked expression and the Kurokawa’s disbelieving one.

Kyouko’s delighted expression and ensuing wall of speech was amazing. As was Gokudera’s desperation to escape. The boy could use some friends if he was staying, and Kyoko was perfect for people with issues.

* * *

Tsuna was sitting on their floor, rolling a stick of unlit dynamite in their fingers as Gokudera was explaining Famiglia hierarchy.

You just couldn’t make this shit up.

They eyed Gokudera and the whiteboard that had appeared out of nowhere; he was completely focused on his lesson, shoulders relaxed and face intense. He’d make a good teacher, they thought, even if they hadn’t gotten much out of his lesson so far. There were notes, so it’s not like they'd be left in the dark. They pinched the dynamite’s wick, thoughtful.

“Gokudera-kun?” He paused mid-word, blinking, and glanced back at them in question. “Where do you fit in all this?”

“I... I’d be a low-ranking subordinate, Juudaime. Since I’m easily replaced and new, as well as young, I have less importance to the famiglia.” He faltered at their expression, turning back to the board. “I’ll make up for it though, Juudaime, I promise, even if I’m only filling in for Reborn-sama, I’ll-”

“Gokudera-kun.” They winced when his tone started getting desperate, laying the dynamite down. “Gokudera-kun, you realise I’m a civilian, right? I’m-I don’t think like that.” No answer. He was still in front of the board. “I mostly see you as a tutor, and maybe friend? I don’t know you well, so it’s a work in progress. Not as some asset, or manpower, even if Reborn brought you here for that. I’m not mafia. Not yet, at least.” They paused, trying to gauge a reaction, response, anything. “Gokudera-kun?”

He spun around, and- wow, they didn’t know eyes could actually _do_ that, thought it was just an anime thing- before dropping into a bow, head touching the floor.

“Juudaime is so kind! I’ll be sure to protect you, Sawada-sama!” Tsuna awkwardly pat his head and tried to get him out of dogeza.

It didn’t work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHAAHA HOLY FUCK YALL'RE THIRSTY FOR SOME FUCKIN SFW ARENT YOU  
> in all seriousness thanks for the kudos and comments omgggggg  
> As you can see in this chapter, Tsuna's identity comes more into play, mostly so as to ease it in now instead of have it pop up randomly mid-arc. And Gokudera! Gokudera will be awesome. I love his puppy face so much.


	4. Block

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gokudera goes with the flow.

Tsuna was rifling through their closet, looking for something relatively decent for Gokudera to wear overnight. Somehow, through the power of sheer will and what they were beginning to think was manipulation, Nana had gotten the boy to agree to stay the night. He was awkwardly toeing the spare futon at the moment, watching their search.

“Eh... Sawada-sama?”

“Tsuna.”

“Sawada-sama.” They huffed, pulling out a shirt and some sweatpants. He could deal, it got cold during the night anyways.

“Okay, Sawada-sama. What?” Gokudera shuffled when they turned to him, cheeks a bit pink. What?

“Is it.. It doesn’t really seem. Appropriate? For us to sleep in the same room.”

“Why not?” He paused blinking at them.

“Wh-because you’re a girl! Er, young woman.” They hummed, passing over the spares. He just sort of... held them against his chest.

“You were raised in Italy, Gokudera-kun?” He nodded. “Mm. In Japan, and a lot of other Asian countries, they don’t really focus on both genders, since only one determines reproduction. We’re undesignated, so it doesn’t really matter just yet. If you were an omega, my mom might have made you sleep in the guest room, but you’re not. So she doesn’t care as much.” Gokudera blinked at them, still confused, but didn’t really want to ask more. Sawada Nana was confusing, and slightly terrifying, and he was okay with trusting her judgement at the moment since he was still a bit happy-high.

The two teens slipped into their beds but kept talking well into the night.

It was mostly them arguing back and forth over how to address superiors. _Goddamn it_ , _Hayato._

* * *

 

Gokudera woke up the instant Tsuna’s alarm went off, and flinched when she hit it and managed to send it flying three feet. He cautiously watched her stumble out of bed, nearly trip over five times, and eventually head for the stairs. He waited another few minutes before hearing the coffee machine start up. A glance at the clock said it was only 5.30, and the sky was still dark outside. Considering these facts carefully, Gokudera got up and followed his boss downstairs, as any faithful underling would. For protection, of course. And just in case she somehow broke something, such as her face.

Tsuna was, in fact, face down on the table when he tiptoed in, and only raised her face enough to squint at him before dropping back down. He heard her say something that may have included the words “coffee” and “god”, but he wasn’t sure. Table mouth wasn’t conducive to understanding words. The coffee maker beeped, and he decided to conscientiously make her a cup shuffling the sugar and milk near her as well. She drank it straight black.

Well.

“Get s’m’thin’ if you wan’ it.” She muttered, and he decided coffee was good enough, since he was already intruding as it was. Juudaime stared at him for a moment, sipping her coffee. Her eyes were half-unfocused. It was... adorable??

“Gokudera.” His head shot up from his deep contemplation of his coffee cup. Tsuna’s expression was serious, and contrasted by her complete lack of intimidation. How was she supposed to turn into a mafiosa, _dio mio_.

“Yes, Sawada-sama?”

“That!” She jabbed her finger at him. “None of that! It’s- it’s-” She faltered, blinking a few times down at her mug. “I want to trust you, b’cause you’re nice and up- app- Reborn says you’re loyal and can help. But if you d’stance yourself. I can’t.” She sipped at her coffee, still looking at the table. Gokudera tried to parse some response that would satisfy her, because he really _couldn_ ’ _t_ do that, before she spoke up again, quiet. “ ‘N no one but Mama n’ Reborn n’ Kyoko-chan call me by my name, so it’d be nice.”

He stared at her, conflicted. On one hand, this was his new boss and she could excommunicate him whenever she wanted, and thus he needed to be as respectful as possible to avoid that and possible death. On the other...

Well. She _was_ a civilian.

“Tsuna-sama?” He hazarded. Her smile was a bright one, if aimed at the table.

*****

Reborn popped up out of nowhere sometime after they had woken up more, checking over Tsuna’s assignments with no mercy. They let him at it while they examined the new textbooks he had brought with him.

“Etiquette? Psychology? I could expect Italian and even economics, but these seem a bit out of place.” They mused, flipping through the large text that was Psychology 101. “Not to mention I’m having problems with my grades anyways.”

“They’re for later.” The hitman replied, cryptic as usual.

“Interactions between different Famiglia are usually fuelled on subtleties and mannerisms, Tsuna-sama. Someone’s tells could be the difference between a war and treaty.” Tsuna hummed, putting it aside.

“Well, I guess it’ll be interesting, at least.” The three sat for a moment, the sound of Reborn’s pen overlaid with Nana’s humming from downstairs.

“...Tsuna-sama? You’re taking this a bit, well?” Tsuna shrugged.

“Mom’s an omega.” Was their only reply, as if that cleared anything up in Gokudera’s mind. Seeing his confusion, they elaborated with a smile. “Gokudera-kun, omegas are vicious when it comes to children, more so than an alpha with a pack. After a visit when I was younger, she got suspicious and looked into my dad’s work. With her connections, she collected as much information on the Vongola and the mafia as you or a low-level member might have. She took the info and did everything she could to protect me. The only thing she couldn’t prepare for at this point were the heirs’ deaths.” There was a heavy pause. Reborn broke it with a snort.

“Knew she was too good for your father.”

* * *

The teens had left for school, waving goodbye to Nana by the time Reborn entered the kitchen. The woman herself was cleaning up and packing away her supplies, getting ready to leave herself. She slowed to a stop when she spotted the hitman in the doorway, cocking her head.

“Reborn-san?” He shook his head, eyes shadowed. Nana took it as answer.

It was easy enough to call in sick, considering how rarely she did it, and Ito-san insisted she could just get an underling to cover, anyways. With that dealt with, she started a fresh batch of coffee, and pulled the heavy-duty vodka out of its hiding-spot. Reborn’s brows shot up at it, but she just shrugged.

When they were both seated, nothing was said, a heavy silence permeating as the maker bubbled quietly.

“Tsuna said you know what Iemitsu does.” Nana nodded, pursing her lips.

“I barely had to ask around, to be honest. Vongola is... well-known.” Reborn snorted. That was putting it lightly.

“Do you know about what Vongola is known for, as well?” She nodded, making the shorthand sign used for Flames. “Good. That’s one less thing to explain.” The coffee maker beeped, and she set about pouring cups and then dosing hers with a good amount of vodka. Reborn was impressed when she took a swig without a wince. “Dying Will flames, they’re in every person. Vongola just figured out how to activate them first. They’re naturally active in the bloodline, though, thanks to all the work that’s been done with them.”

“And Tsu-chan is part of that line.”

“Distantly.” Reborn hesitated, wondering how to phrase the next part. “Dying Will, when activated, can be dangerous if not controlled. It typically means untrained Activations lead to apprenticeships, or sometimes Suppressions for a few years if they’re out of control enough.”

“Timoteo didn’t just supress my child, Reborn-san.” Her tone was light. The killing intent choking the room was not. Omega, indeed.

“Iemitsu was under the impression that you and Tsunayoshi needed to be as unaffiliated with the mafia as possible. When he saw Tsuna’s flames, it was a threat to that.” She growled, and it was a guttural thing.

“That man hasn’t seen them for four years, hasn’t been there for the multiple hospital visits.”

“I know, Mamma, believe me, I don’t agree with his actions.” He soothed. “I’m frankly just as angry as you. What they did...” He stopped. Nana looked up from her cup.

“Reborn?”

“It’s a slow death, Nana. And the only way to fix it is to speed up the process.”

* * *

Lunchtime made Tsuna freeze up in hesitation, standing on the steps leading to the roof. Gokudera was behind her, watching her hesitate and tensing up himself. Was there some danger they had to face on the roof? Was she going to test him, going against her promise? She turned to him, grimacing, and he flinched when hands reached out.

All she did was tidy his uniform up, tucking away any obvious jewelry and snubbing out his cigarette with two fingers. “Can’t get him more upset than he will be,” She said, like that made _any_ fucking sense. They pushed forward, with that, and Gokudera squinted as the sun hit his eyes. Tsuna rushed forward, going to squat by the figure lying prone on a bench. “Hibari-senpai.”

The prefect cracked an eye open. She smiled when he scowled.

“Bunny. You were absent yesterday. And the school day before.”

“Mochida forced me into a kendo duel that first day. But I made a new friend yesterday!” At the blank look that received, she beckoned Gokudera over, who felt at this point that he should have kept his cigarette lit, if only to toss bombs and run.

The middle-schooler was oozing killing intent. It was constant, pervading at his senses and making him go haywire. But his life had been bizarre already for the past few days, and he was a hardened mafioso, so he stayed cautiously behind instead of protecting his boss.

Said boss tugged at his arm when close enough, beaming at him and then Hibari. “This is Gokudera Hayato! He’s sort of like Kusakabe? Except more paranoid. Not that that’s a bad thing!” She hastily added, “Considering this town. Gokudera-kun, this is Hibari Kyoya. He runs the school.”

Runs the school? Gokudera stared at the boy, who glared back. It was a strong glare. He looked away first. Tsuna beamed harder as Hibari grunted.

“Cause no disturbance.”

And that was how Gokudera, some-fucking-how, quietly ended up discussing the town administrative structure with Tsuna-sama, all the while sitting next to what felt very much like a second Reborn, who dozed during all of lunch.

_Cristo._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Next chapter finished.  
> As just a peremptory note, Tsuna's pronouns are going to fluctuate depending on the situation and person. Most of the adults aren't going to bothered with gendered ones, while peers may just flow with their fluctuations. Tsuna themself is going to mainly stay with gendered ones, but will also use they/them at points, because hey! Dysphoria isn't a rock-solid, clear thing.  
> I'm... really hesitant to write transphobia into this, because ABO is complicated on its own, and I frankly deal with it enough without also writing it into a personal project.


	5. Critical Hit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> blugh, im somehow displeased and happy w this at the same time. ah well.

Gokudera had, admittedly, been lulled into a doze at some point by Tsuna’s stream of conversation. She jumped from topic to topic, barely pausing for breath or food. He couldn’t be blamed for it, honestly; who could keep up with that?

“...And all the other heirs are dead. So....” Wait. Gokudera sat up, blinking at his bento. What?

Tsuna was jabbing at her food, scowling. That, however, was less important than the laser focus Hibari had on her. Well, and the fact she was apparently disclosing fucking information outside the Omerta.

“Tsuna-sama, that isn’t something you should be telling a civilian,” He hissed. She just blinked at him, bewildered.

“Gokudera-kun, do you not know about the Hibari Family?” She asked slowly, glancing at the teen in question. He had yet to let up on the death glare, but had instead directed it at Gokudera. Fun! “They’re... They control the Yakuza I guess, but they also have roots in the police force and government.” She pointed at Hibari with a chopstick. “He’s one of the heirs. Omerta doesn’t matter.”

Oh. Oh God. Hayato put his head between his knees and tried to breathe, desperately thinking of better things. Like explosions. Or cats. _Or anything besides two fucking heirs somehow being in one town, and friends, and inSANE?_ Tsuna and Hibari talked over his head, letting him calm down. Tsuna did. Hibari didn’t care.

He lifted his head just in time to see the brunet storm off, tonfa in hand. Tsuna was pale next to him, lips pursed.

“Tsuna-sama?” She shook her head.

“Nothing to worry about, Gokudera-kun. Just a little argument, no bloodshed. Hibari-kun is a bit temperamental.”

“He seems more murderous than anything.” The teen muttered under his breath. He flinched when Tsuna snorted beside him, but the girl only patted him on the back before heading for the door herself.

Gokudera could only follow. 

* * *

 

The next week was... tense. Tsuna kept jumping at nothing while at school, half expecting Hibari to pop out and scare the shit out of them. And probably beat the shit out of a teacher, all things considered.

This sort of behaviour was the _exact_ reason they never bothered telling him about the administration. Just because one can get away with homicide doesn’t mean they should commit it, after all. Mm, that and it seemed a.. Hassle, to get someone involved after all this time.

Reborn seemed aware of the situation and was darkly pleased about it, shadowing all their lessons with a frankly unnerving aura. Gokudera had joined in when appraised, and had spent the past week glaring at everyone in their classes.

Tsuna didn’t know if Nana had caught on. They didn’t want to know.

It all came to a head when, on the next Monday, the morning started with a substitute. A permanent one, at that, replacing Nezu for the rest of the term until someone more suitable was found. Hoshino-sensei was polite, but distant to a point. They made no effort to hide the tattoos decorating their arms, and none of the students commented out of terror or nerves.

It continued as a pattern for the rest of the day.

At lunch, Tsuna drummed a rhythm into their desk, frowning at their bento. The roof had been empty when Gokudera-kun and them had checked, as well as the disciplinary headquarters. Kyoko and Hana had caught on to their mood, and the girls hurried to try and make small talk to distract. It was endearing, if useless.

“Maybe someone finally reported Nezu?” Kyoko finally tried, nudging their shoulder.

“That wouldn’t explain the rest, though. Haru-san was at least halfway-decent, and I know the home-ec teacher’s only problem was being lactose intolerant as a cook.” Hana retorted. Kyoko’s smile slid into a grimace as she considered that, and the trio sighed. Gokudera tsked at them all, chewing on the end of one of his chopsticks.

“They were all shitty one way or another. If only they could get rid of some of these shitheads too...” He glared out the window at the courtyard.

The mood of the whole school was tense, to be honest. So many teachers suddenly missing and replaced with less-than-pristine characters was enough to catch everyone’s attention, especially with the disciplinary committee missing at the same time.

“It’s because of Hibari-senpai.” Tsuna muttered. The others turned to them, blinking, but they shook their head. It’d be public knowledge by tomorrow, at this rate.

They felt vindicated when Hibari appeared at the end of the day, slamming open the class door like a godsdamned barbarian. Tsuna gave him a look, sighing in resignation. They still followed, stilling Gokudera with a touch on the arm. No need to bring him.

“Hello, Sawada-san.” Tsuna nodded at Kusakabe, who had been waiting outside. Lovely man, always there to keep any property damages at bay. “Follow me, please; we’re just heading to the headmaster’s office.” Just. Ha. The trio walked in silence, Hibari prowling ahead like a predator. The office was silent when they entered, secretary absent and the door to the headmaster’s splayed open. Nana was patiently sitting in front of the desk, writing something down on a paper. More were spread around her, but Tsuna was more focused on the woman sitting behind it all.

She was short and stocky, holding herself with a composed air. Donning a traditional kimono with her hair in a bun, she was the picture of a noblewoman. She also exuded alpha pheromones like an angry pack leader with an expression of learned disinterest.

Tsuna respectfully bowed and kept their distance. It garnered a small smile.

“You must be Tsunayoshi-kun. I’ve heard much of you from my son. My name is Hibari Ichiko. Please, sit.” she continued talking as they all arranged themselves, passing papers to the teen. “My team has been cleaning up this mess all week, as well as gathering testimonies to ensure compliance. I will need a detailed account of any misconduct you may have experienced or witnessed from teachers, as well as an inappropriate behaviour that may have been directed at you. I apologise if this may raise unpleasant memories, but it is for the betterment of Namimori education.”

Tsuna stared blankly at the papers. “You know, when I told Hibari-senpai, I envisioned more slaughter than investigations.” They mused. Ichiko snorted as Hibari scowled.

“Yes, we discussed that at length and convinced Kyo-kun that such a route would not be fruitful. This is much more satisfying.”

“You should have told me you were friends with Kyouya-kun, Tsu-kun,” Nana added absently, “I could have brought it up with Ichiko-chan sooner. Or had the minions report it.” Tsuna huffed, but started filling out the paperwork regardless as the two women struck up conversation.

* * *

 

Tsuna stared at Gokudera, who stared back between his glances at the rest of the group. Nana ignored it all and pushed into the house, patting the blond on the head as she hummed some tune. Ichiko-san and Hibari followed as well, though Ichiko gave the teen a polite smile.

“Tsuna-sama, are you alright?” He finally hissed, staring back into the house. They could dimly hear Nana exclaiming over something in the kitchen- food, if the flour covering Gokudera’s hands meant anything. Tsuna hesitated, wincing.

“Not really? But it’s fine. Everything’s fine.” Gokudera gestured demonstratively back. “Gokudera-kun, they’re guests. Family friends at this point. Allies, too.”

“The Hibari are a strong family. They’ll be useful in the coming years.” Came from Reborn, who appeared out of nowhere. Tsuna gave him an unimpressed look and tried to calm Gokudera down from another wheezing fit.

“Really, we’re all teens, Gokudera-kun. Stop worrying about propriety.” They said instead, pulling the rest of them into the house. They pushed the boy to Nana, who immediately began praising what was apparently homemade pasta, and pointed Hibari towards the backyard to keep him from assaulting anyone before dinner was done. Should they keep calling him Hibari when there were now multiple Hibari? Hm.

The older teen raised a brow when they called him ‘Kyouya-san’ but didn’t do anything more than pat their head. Complex boy.

Finally, later that night when the others had left and they were getting ready for bed (since Gokudera had yet to escape the hospitality of Sawada Nana), Tsuna finally had a chance to actually explain.

“It’s... There’s always been bullying from the other students, and that was normal, I guess, people chalked it up to kids being cruel and left it. It was bad, but you don’t interfere with things like that.” Tsuna started, picking at a stray thread on their shirt. “But the teachers joined in too, and they never stopped anything or helped me, even if they didn’t outright hate me. And apparently I wasn’t the only one they were doing that to.”

“The majority of staff at Namimori-chuu are being investigated on charges of discrimination, criminal negligence, and harassment, including sexual in some cases.” Reborn added in a nonchalant tone, polishing a gun in his area of the room. Gokudera seemed horrified at it all, but Tsuna didn’t know how to comfort him.

“Cosa- how could it be that bad? Wouldn’t someone notice beforehand? Wouldn’t _parents_?” Tsuna shrugged.

“There was a specific board put in charge of Namimori’s education system, and everyone thought that they would do fine. They didn’t, so Hibari-san had to clean everything up. I’m pretty sure even mom’s people are looking into it, at least at the daycare and primary level.” They smiled, a little wry, “No one thought it was this bad, I guess. Mom thought they just hated me. Other kids, they don’t talk about it or they join the disciplinary committee. It’s the sort of thing that happens in a town as stitched together as Namimori.”

* * *

 

Gokudera stared at the ceiling, trying and failing to silence his thoughts. This was.. A mess. More than he would have expected from civilians. And it was affecting his boss. How did he deal with this?

Well, he didn’t. It already was being handled. But how did he help Juudaime while everything was transferring over...? He glanced over at Tsuna, curled up and shivering beneath her quilt. He could hear small wheezes coming from her. That... wasn’t good. A glance at Reborn revealed he was still dead to the world, or unconcerned enough that he wasn’t reacting. So it was up to the teen. He hesitantly reached out to the other, reviewing the file he had been given- there were no allergies or health problems, were there? Lung conditions, asthma, maybe-

Tsuna jumped up before he could so much as touch the blanket. Her eyes were unfocused and she scrambled to the corner, head in her hands.

Ah.

“Tsuna-sama, it was just a dream. You’re at home right now.” Gokudera whispered, patting at the blanket. Her head shifted, and her eyes turned towards him, but they still weren’t focused. “It’s Gokudera. Reborn is sleeping in the corner, and Nana-san is in her room. No one else is here. You’re safe.”

The silence hung heavy, only Tsuna’s pants breaking it. Gokudera waited patiently through it, watching as her arms slowly relaxed and her eyes came into focus. When she finally blinked at him, he gave her a weak smile.

“Ara.. sorry, for that. Waking you up.” She finally mumbled, running a shaky hand through her bangs. Gokudera only shook his head.

“ I wasn’t sleeping anyway, Tsuna-sama. And I’d rather help than let you suffer.” She eyed him for a moment before allowing a small smile to crawl onto her face.

“Hm. Thank you then, Gokudera-kun. But after that...” She trailed off, grimacing.

“We could review class notes, if you’d like?” Gokudera suggested, knowing that expression well. The grateful look he was shot made him scurry to pull everything out, and the two settled next to each other, quietly relishing in the comfort.

Reborn didn’t comment when the duo nearly fell over each other when the alarm clock blared hours later. Thank god for that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter: Takeshi, and his fucked-up arc! Seriously, canon made me go holy shit. AN ITS STILL GON BE BAD AHA  
> As an aside, Gokudera's segment has completely she/her pronouns because as far as he knows, Tsuna is a girl, period. And its from his POV.  
> In other news, I'm frankly astonished at how popular this has gotten! I'm in the first 10p on the fandom tag fer christs sake! Thanks so much for reading and the kudos, like. Aaaa I just dont know how to put this in wordsss


	6. Headlock

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyonE! Quick thing- due to reading issues, Tsuna is permanently addressed as they/them in the text unless it is an outside POV. Previous chapters have been adjusted as well. The next update will not be as quick as this one, either, as I'm going to be out of country for the next two weeks and won't be able to do anything.  
> As you can see as well, I am very upset over Yamamoto. Poor, dumb kid.

Reborn stared at his phone, frustrated. A report was expected, needed, and Nono would be worried if there wasn’t one. However, Reborn severely doubted he’d be able to keep his anger in check if he tried to talk to the man.

He considered his possibilities. If he called in, they would think he was compromised in some way, or that Tsunayoshi was. Neither could be risked. If he didn’t however, it was likely they would send someone- someone who could scope out the situation without being suspicious to civilians while also not being overkill. Someone who wouldn’t compromise the schedule if they were gone.

Reborn contemplated the situation, and finally dialed a number into his phone.

“Shamal?  _ Ho un lavoro per te _ ...”

* * *

School was... still tense. Many students were awkward, or faux-enraged. Some had fallen silent, eyeing their peers with darkened eyes. Tsuna could recognise the stretch of their faces as shame. They were fiercely satisfied. But it was better in spite of this, in their eyes. With the stress and whispering, it didn’t change the fact Tsuna could walk through the halls without being shoved and harassed, and that they were actually  _ learning  _ in class, now. The new teachers, for all their vibes of killer intent and yakuza marks, listened carefully when they explained about their insomnia, and needing to catch up due to past neglect. Hoshino-san, bless their heart, had pulled up a guideline for Tsuna and their tutors to follow- not that Reborn didn’t already have one, of course.

Gokudera had stayed glued to their side the whole time, enjoying it almost more, and had yet to find his own place. The Sawadas weren’t about to mention anything.

But there were still problems.

Tsuna eyed their classmate, Yamamoto? Yamato? One of them. He was surrounded by their classmates, mostly others on the baseball team, grinning and laughing at whatever they were talking about. Sports had been largely unaffected by the changes, with only a few minor bumps as the coaches were investigated and dropped.

That didn’t change the empty look in Yamamoto’s eyes, though. Or the fact his smile looked more like a grimace painfully stretched across his face. Tsuna boggled at how no one noticed it, just kept laughing along with him.

It was unsettling, and familiar enough to set the teen to worrying.

Tsuna got the chance to... observe the tall boy one day when they were assigned to cleaning duty. Well, no, that wasn’t quite correct. The rest of the class had been ready to shove cleaning duty all on Tsuna before freezing, remembering what the hell was going on at school. Tsuna had taken pity on them and shooed them away.

Thank god Gokudera skipped gym.

Yamamoto had stayed with a grin, spouting paper words about it being fair that someone help. Tsuna tried to not wince at his act, and pretty much failed.

The boy was all limbs, gangly and stooping. But he had a grace to him, one that he didn’t seem quite aware of as he swept the gym. Tsuna kept an eye on him, and was unsettled to see his expression slowly sink into a blank slate. That...  _ mrrrr _ .

“Eto, Yamamoto-san...?” Tsuna trailed off, watching the boy perk up, instantly snapping a cheerful expression on his face as he turned.

“Yeah. Sawada?” Tsuna shuffled a bit, hugging the broom just a little.

“Are.. are you okay? You seem...”  _ Ready to jump  _ would be horrible, no matter how accurate it seemed. “..Off? Lately?”  Yamamoto’s face seemed to shift, before his grin slanted into a wry thing.

“Well, wouldn’t anyone be? With all the crazy stuff going on, I think everyone’s a little off, aha.” Tsuna tilted their head in agreement, grimacing. “You seem to be handling it well, though?.” The boy looked off to the middle distance, scratching his nose. “Aa, I guess that’d make sense though, huh, with how everyone treats you.” Tsuna flinched. Well, that was blunt.

“I guess...” They muttered. No point continuing that line of questioning then. The two went back to sweeping. The silence was awkward.

“How did you deal with it?” Tsuna jumped, and turned.

“What?” Yamamoto gestured vaguely.

“With the... negativity? It must have been hard.”

“I..” Tsuna swallowed. It felt like there was a rock lodged in their throat. “I didn’t, Yamamoto-san. That’s why I asked you if were okay. Because I saw that expression every morning.” This time, it was the taller teen who flinched.

Neither continued speaking. 

* * *

 

Gokudera was eyeing their mother like she was about to combust. Tsuna nudged him, seeing if it would make him stop. The boy just turned his stare to them.

“We’re doing  _ rounds _ .”

“Yes!” Clearly he didn’t whisper quietly enough. Nana turned her head towards him, smiling. “It keeps the more rowdy residents of town in check. And it’ll be su-per helpful with all the recent trouble!”

“...The whole town?” Nana nodded, smile crooked.

“Well, not the whole town personally. That’s what minions are for! But the key businesses and homes, yes.”

“I thought you worked at a daycare, Sawada-san?”

“Sometimes. But sometimes, I’m working at the town center, or helping at the hospital, or making sure there hasn’t been too much trouble down at the police quarters...” The woman trailed off, contemplating. “Wherever my rounds take me, I suppose. Or wherever the boys may be slacking.” The woman ended the conversation by slipping into one of the buildings ahead. Gokudera turned to Tsuna, who could only shrug.

“Aa, she’s sort of the town mother, Gokudera-kun.”

“She’s behaving like a Yakuza boss.” Reborn pointed out, voice tinted with amusement. Tsuna gave him a blank look.

“The minions thing isn’t a joke.” They paused, thinking. “And she’s less in control and more making sure that they don’t ruin the town? Which means taking a hold of some of the stupider ones. ‘S why Ichiko-san likes her. I’m pretty sure the actual boss of the local group is her tea buddy or something. They trade tips on skirting the law every few weeks when I’m at school.” Another pause. “This is ruining a lot of your research, isn’t it Reborn?”

“I trashed all the intel I was given once it became apparent they were only listening to Iemitsu.” Reborn replied, stepping down from his perch on Tsuna’s shoulder. “Don’t you think seeing how your mother handles interactions with people under her would be useful?”

Tsuna huffed and rolled their eyes, but went inside at the unsubtle hint. It was a fairly popular sushi restaurant, with a traditional setting. Nana was at the counter, cheerfully talking with the owner. He was multi-tasking, slicing into a fish as they talked while also ordering a helper around the kitchen. Although, looking at the two...

Ah. That was Yamamoto behind the man. His father? They noted the boy’s smile was fake as ever, and grimaced. Unfortunately, the adults caught sight of them.

“Tsu-kun! Come here!” Tsuna, being the dutiful child, went over and endured their mother’s gushing, even if they wanted to hide their face in their hands and go red as a tomato. It didn’t escape Yamamoto-san’s notice, who chuckled, the bastard.

“Ah, it’s wonderful to meet you, Tsuna-kun; your mother is a lovely woman. But I’m sure us catching up is just going to be boring for you- and your little friend. Takeshi!” The boy perked up, face brightening and eyes squinting. “Why don’t you three go off and enjoy yourselves? It’s not too busy right now, so you can go relax.” The two teens traded glances. Neither was enthusiastic.

However, neither wanted to watch their parents flirt with each other, so they escaped to the empty lot behind the restaurant.

Reborn seemed to have stayed behind, thank god. Tsuna stood awkwardly for a moment, finally taking a seat on an abandoned crate. Yamamoto did the same, ruffling his hair and dropping the grin he had held inside. Gokudera decided to be contrary and lit a cigarette, taking a deep breath. Tsuna eyed him and wondered how hard it would be to guilt him into stopping.

“You’re Gokudera, right? Everyone talks about how you two are glued to each other.” The punk tsked, glaring.

“What does it matter? How Tsuna-sama and I are is our business.” Yamamoto’s brows rose.

“Ara? Sama? I didn’t realise you were that way, Sawada- to each their own, I guess, no shaming here.”

“Please don’t make it a sex thing, it’s not a sex thing.” They winced as Gokudera tried to stop choking on his cigarette. “It was worse before, Sama is an improvement.” He snorted at that, the asshole.

“Mm.” Gokudera finally calmed down, rubbing at his chest with a scowl, but Tsuna ignored him in favour of running a sharp eye over Yamamoto. He was still as run down as before, though he tried his best to hide it. There was more stress around his eyes, and his hands had yet to stop fidgeting.

“You know, Yamamoto-san, about earlier...” They trailed off as his eyes snapped to them. “One of my only saving graces was my mother. If she wasn’t here, I don’t know what I’d do.” They paused, considering. “Probably go off the roof or get a knife. But, anyways. Her and Hibari-senpai were my largest supports, and they got me through it.” Gokudera was looking pretty confused and mildly horrified by now, but Tsuna kept their eyes on Yamamoto. The boy only smiled humourlessly, leaning forward.

“Aha, you really think I have anyone like that, Sawada? With how you see through me, I’m sure you notice how the others are. The team, they’re nice, but they don’t care. And my father... he doesn’t deserve to have this put on him.” His face grew distant, attention shifting inwards. “I’m doing just fine now, and I’ll keep doing fine.”

Tsuna responded to this by slapping him upside the head. The taller teen spluttered, but they were having none of it. “Is that fine why you look ready to jump in a river, asshole? Keeping it locked in isn’t going to help anyone in the long run, and acting like it will just pisses  _ me  _ off.” They scowled, tugging their shirt over their head and ignoring Gokudera’s squawking in the background. They turned, jabbing at the starbursts of scar tissue that littered their back, all leading to a ropy line right by their hairline. “This is what I got for thinking I could handle it myself, Yamamoto. A trip to the hospital where I didn’t leave for a month, remember that? My mother didn’t stop crying for weeks, and it took intensive treatment just to get the shrapnel out and make sure I could walk again. She  _ still  _ freaks out when we’re up high. It’s not worth it.  _ Tell someone.” _

The boys were pale and quiet, staring at the patchwork that made up Tsuna’s back. It unnerved them, and they quickly made to put their shirt back on. A small noise caught their attention, and they glanced back just in time to see the door rustle, quickly snicking closed. Well.

If it sped things up, they weren’t going to complain. 

And if Tsuyoshi-san’s smile was as fake as his son’s when they left, it was all for the better. 

* * *

 

Gokudera was quiet for the rest of the day, not that Tsuna was complaining. The duo kept their pace as they followed Nana around, and did their work when they were home. It was easier than before, although the brunet still couldn’t understand variables for the life of them. It took until after dinner, while they were washing dishes, for him to speak up.

“Tsuna-sama, what you talked about with that kid...” He stopped. Tsuna didn’t interrupt, letting him gather his thoughts. He finally set down the plate he was drying, turning to them. “If you... if the need ever appears, I’m here, Tsuna-sama. I may not be the best when it comes to advice and... handling stress, but I will still listen.” Tsuna looked at him quiet, before slowly leaning in and enveloping him in a hug. The two were all corners and lanky arms, but it didn’t matter as Gokudera huffed and slowly relaxed in their arms. He was bright red when they separated, which was.... Frankly adorable.

And decidedly more awkward, actually. “Ah, also, Tsuna-sama, eh...  _ Come dico questo senza stando imbarazzante _ ...You are.. A  _ girl _ ?” 

Tsuna blinked. “Sometimes.”

Gokudera nodded resolutely, and that was that. 

* * *

A month and a half into life with Reborn, and Tsuna opened the door one morning to see a tall, unkempt man staring blandly back. The disinterest coming off him was a miasma.

“...Mama, I thought you cut off the gentlemen callers?” No response from the kitchen. They frowned, but turned back. “May I ask who you are?”

“I think the better question is who  _ you  _ are, kid, to get this fucked up.” Tsuna stiffened. He was looking them up and down with a critical eye, irises an unnerving violet. “Reborn called me.” 

“I think,” Tsuna started slowly, “That if you want to so much as come in this house, you will keep your mouth  _ shut _ . Name?”

The man only looked amused. “Trident Shamal.” They padded back, hands carefully left loose as they entered the dining room. Reborn and Gokudera were hunched over some plan, likely outlining more lessons and what pace to go at. Nana was nowhere to be seen. 

“Reborn. There’s a man by Trident Shamal here for you.” Their voice was stiff, but they could be excused, at this point. Both looked up, Reborn expectant and Gokudera a mix of surprised and confused.

“Shamal’s here?” The boy echoed as Reborn hopped and trotted to the door. Tsuna only nodded, going back to their place and snatching their chopsticks. One of them broke in half, and Tsuna hurled the other end at the wall in frustration. 

“Gokudera.”  The two were in the doorway now, Reborn standing carefully in front of Shamal as the man watched the scene in front of him. Reborn jerked his head, and the teen hurried to obey, rushing out of the room with one last worried glance at Tsuna. “This is Trident Shamal; he’s a doctor. He specializes in flames and diseases.”

“Is there a reason he’s here?” Tsuna’s hand curled around their bowl, hackles rising with the dread in the back of their mind. Shamal rolled his eyes at the play by play, taking the seat across from the teen.

“Look, calm your shit, kid. I’m here as a favour for Reborn, you don’t need to worry about me doing something to your pack or trying to "correct" you. You’ve got issues, right? Memory’s always faulty, autumn seems more like winter, balance is nonexistent?” Tsuna stayed quiet. “Maybe even some issues with touching things and getting up in the morning?”

A small nod. Shamal grinned humourlessly.

“Great. That’s not normal. And looking at you in the flesh makes it obvious that someone fucked up very, very badly when it comes to you.”

“The incident Mamma mentioned involved Iemitsu and Nono, Tsuna. Do you remember it?” Reborn piped up. Tsuna’s brows furrowed.

They were... pretty sure they knew what the two were talking about. It was the one thing Nana always got hung up on, whenever she was on a roll- Iemitsu had swooped in when they were younger with his boss, promising to stay for two weeks, and had disappeared three days in. His departure had coincided with a week-long fever and Tsuna’s abrupt spiral downward, of which the blond had never seemed concerned about.

“They... did something?” A nod.

“The flames you used the day you fought Mochida- they can be dangerous if they aren’t tightly controlled, since they’re basically life force incarnate.” Reborn replied frankly. “They’re also exclusively tied to crime organizations, seeing as it’s only us and hapless civilians who use them. You used them early, and Iemitsu and Nono decided sealing you was the best option. It’s called Suppression.” Shamal snorted at that, heaven knows why. Tsuna only blinked.

“Is... Suppression. Supposed to make me useless?” Another snort.

“It’s supposed to make it so you can’t access your flames without help, kid. It did that, granted, but it’s also ensuring you probably won’t make it to 20 without life support at the same time.” Shamal ignored how Tsuna’s bowl clattered to the table and spilled rice everywhere. “Which is why I’m here, treating you, and not out at a bar or on a hunt. Now, get comfortable. 

This is going to be long and painful.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ho un lavoro per te - I have a job for you.  
> Come dico questo senza stando imbarazzante - How do I say this without being awkward?  
> 


	7. Tag Team

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guys! There's a companion piece to the story now- well, more like a side story I guess- that will be put in a series along with this! It's going up at the same time as Tag Team :-]

Tsuna was bur ning.

Their chest was an inferno, white hot and scorching and never letting up at all, making it so sosososss hard to hold in the screams. They had to, kaa-san couldn’t hear, but i t was so _hard_

They felt like they were dying.

Was Shamal still working, using those violet streaks and bugs to manipulate Tsuna? Was he the reason their mind was gl itching, fragmenting, everything brea-king in the pain and fire and numbness stretching from their chest oh god

Tsuna finally let out a small keen as they went under, black taking them.

 

Shamal leaned back, sighing as his spine popped. Reborn sat beside him, quietly looming. The doctor ignored him in favour of patting out a cigarette and lighting it.

“Kid’s a miracle.” He finally said, voice hoarse from smoke and exhaustion. “I’m surprised you didn’t shoot me when I had to resuscitate..”

“You’re lucky it was expected.” Was his only response. Shamal snorted.

“Mm. He’ll- she’ll? Your fucking students, Reborn- it’ll be touch and go until there’s any actual flame use, but there should be immediate results. The seal’s completely gone.” He paused. “Unless it wasn’t a seal and just some parasite. But that’s a nonzero chance thing.” Reborn nodded once.

“Hayato should still be in the house if you want to see him.” The scruffy man took it as the dismissal it was and left the man to his student.

* * *

 

Tsuna woke to a curious tingling sensation in their limbs and faint headache. A small hand was touching their forehead, and the headache faded to nothing as they tuned into two voices talking quietly.

“Reborn..?” The voices stopped. Tsuna warily pried their eyes open, relieved to find the room was dim. They slowly sat up.

Oh. It was the living room, still. Weird. They didn’t think they’d still be here after all that. And it was kind of...

Intense?

Everything had a smell. Hm, that was redundant. Everything had an _obvious_ smell. There was their mother and Gokudera and Reborn and home-safety-cooking wafting through the air, hallmarks of territory. Except they could actually tell it was there without focusing. The hope and worry coming off their mother was pungent; even Reborn’s emotionless scent marker of gunpowder and coffee was stronger than usual.

....Huh.

“It went well?” They ventured, trying to remember the procedure. A feeling told them it was better they didn’t.

“It should have.” Reborn replied, hopping to stand on the table like a savage. He quickly moved to an armchair at Nana’s look. “At this point, any success will be seen with time.” Tsuna considered that.

“Alright. That’s. Reasonable?” They stood carefully, keeping a hand on the couch. “Uh. Back to work, I guess?”

Reborn just shook his head as Nana giggled and hugged her child.

* * *

Gokudera was bemused and slightly distressed when they finally found him, staring down at something in his hands.

“Aa, Gokudera-kun?” He jumped, head shooting up as he pocketed- whatever it was. The distress in his scent was quickly covered with joy, which was... weird. To smell. Oh god they were going to have to get used to this.

“Tsuna-sama! You’re alright! And-” He paused, expression twisting with hesitancy. “Ah, peachier? ...More peach-y?”

“What.”

“Your scent is stronger.” He clarified. “It’s always been a sort of, peach wood mix? And now it’s stronger.”

“Oh.” Another thing to contemplate later.

“Anyways. I’m glad you’re better! Shamal explained why he was here- eventually, the fucking bastard.” He paused. “I’d also like to state, pardon my bluntness, that your father is also a bastard. My apologies, Tsuna-sama.”

Tsuna barked out a laugh in surprise. “No disagreement here, Gokudera-kun. You knew Shamal before this, though?” The boy winced, making a vague gesture as he slowly sat down.

“He.. taught me. For a little while, when I was younger. I haven’t seen him in years, though.”

Tsuna eyed him and the discomfort apparent and decided it wasn’t worth asking further. Shamal was rough, but not suspicious. Right now.

Instead they asked after the families they had been covering last lesson and sat back as the boy went into his element.

* * *

 

Everything was _strange_ now. Food tasted different, scents were different, hell, even _Tsuna_ was different.

_They slept through the whole night. Eight hours._

They didn’t trip going down the stairs for coffee the next morning, or have to play guesswork to get their hands to hold the mugs right.

Reborn seemed to take this, all of it, as carefully observed and noted, to mean that the procedure was a success and was darkly smug for days. Nana went on an Italian food kick and hadn’t stopped sharing recipes with Tsuna since then.

Tsuna was just glad she was happy.

However, beyond all that, Reborn had apparently reached another conclusion from it all.

Tsuna was now ready for physical training.

Which meant waking up at 5.30 not for coffee and homework, but pushups and sprinting around the town like a goddamn maniac. Gokudera had joined them out of sympathy and promptly regretted it when Reborn started shooting at their feet to get them moving faster.

But Tsuna could deal with that. Merciless and brutal it was, but Tsuna was actually building muscle, and Gokudera finally had reason to quit smoking.

What they couldn’t deal with was involving fucking Kyouya. Who was all too happy to beat the everliving shit out of the two at school. Where they couldn’t fight back for fear of property damage.

Which Tsuna expressly forbid.

It was life.

* * *

 

Until Yamamoto approached Tsuna.

Gokudera had skipped gym again, and it was swimming lessons that day. They dove in and tried not to remember the river the whole time. After, when everyone was changing into clothes and heading home, Tsuna heard someone clear their throat. Which was weird, considering most people just shoved them or slammed a nearby locker for attention.

The teen turned and saw Yamamoto, frowning and awkward and looking everywhere but their face. His usual groupies of fans and sports players were absent, and it made him seem... hm, smaller, in a way.

It wasn’t bad.

“Yamamoto-san?” Were they about to get into another fight for interfering?

“Sawada.” He made for a smile but stopped the attempt halfway through. “I wanted to say thanks, I guess.”

Tsuna turned fully to him. Their surprise must have shown, because the tall boy sighed and finally looked at them head-on.

“You pissed me off, with how you kept pushing, and my dad found out the day of your mom’s inspection. But,” His eyes softened, “My old man... He’s the best in the world. Sat on me until I spilled everything, but he didn’t.” He paused, trying to articulate his thoughts. “He- he didn’t pity my or anything, I guess? He was worried, and upset, but he didn’t act like it was impossible, or like I was faking for attention. He listened.”

“He sat and saw you not the mask.” Yamamoto was startled, but nodded slowly, watching them speculatively.

“Yeah, that would be it. Like you did. Really, the only bad thing out of this, I guess, is that he’s making me take a breather from baseball. That and the therapy. But even then..” He trailed off, but Tsuna understood. They put on their outside shoes, shifting their bag to their shoulder. A hesitant pause, before they ventured,

“Would you want to come hang out at mine for a while? I’ve got some games, and mom and Gokudera wouldn’t mind. You could just relax.”

“You-really?” Tsuna nodded, a wry smile forming.

“Us actors have to stick together, after all.”

* * *

 

The thing was, Tsuna didn’t know at all how the two boys would react to each other when they met and spoke. Gokudera was brash and rude to strangers and people he disliked, and off-puttingly loyal to those he did and respected. Yamamoto was a wild card who, at best, would unnerve everyone in the room with fake expressions and at worst, freak them out with cutting stares.

They breathed a sigh of relief when, the moment Yamamoto tried to fake a reaction, Gokudera slapped him upside the head and called him an idiot. They then worried about Yamamoto’s sanity when he laughed and gave a genuine grin in response.

Regardless, they resolved to shove the two together as often as possible.

Reborn had been amused and satisfied at it all. Weirdo.

Yamamoto after that point just... snuck himself into their routine. He’d show up outside the Sawada residence and either join in breakfast or lounge around and make comments. They’d all walk to school, squabbling or discussing whatever had been uncovered most recently in the school case, then meet up again in lunch.

It was as though he’d always been there. Tsuna wasn’t protesting the addition.

* * *

 

Having a new friend and destroying the seal beside, the mafia still existed, and it still constantly disrupted normal life.

More than it already had, at this point.

The trio were walking home from school and arguing ambush tactics, as you do, when they were forced to a stop. Suited men were- well, they weren’t filling the street, but they were certainly putting out an air that made it seem like it.

“Apologies, sirs, we can’t let anyone through. You’ll have to go around, I’m afraid.” Suit One said, apologetic and polite but obviously missing a few screws.

“This is a _neighbourhood_ .” Tsuna said slowly. Yamamoto snickered. “I _live_ here, I can’t _go around_.”

The suits paused, sharing a glance. “Which one?” Tsuna almost face-palmed because HOW WAS THAT IMPORTANT AT ALL-

“Third one on the right, Sawada nameplate, with the small-” but Tsuna couldn’t get any more out, because at the name the men went into fits, apologising and pushing the three through to their colleagues. Who were stationed right in front of Tsuna’s house.

Goddamnit, Reborn.

Two minutes later, Tsuna was in front of the door to their own room, Gokudera downstairs making tea while Yamamoto badgered him. They had told them to stay downstairs, just in case it got... ugly. They had seen glimpses of Tsuna when they were angry, but a glimpse was one thing.

Seeing their friend go for someone’s throat was another.

Something to work on, now that they actually had reason to.

They slowly opened the door, blinked. There was another man in their room. Blond, coltish, generically handsome. He was wearing casual clothes unlike the rest of his entourage, and was peering out the window. Tsuna was sure he was hiding something.

He turned as they walked in, lighting up. “Ah, Tsunayoshi!” Tsuna stiffened further than they already were. Ah. “You’re finally here- I didn’t realise Japanese schools let out so late. Reborn was just telling me about your training.” Said hitman watched their interaction calmly from his spot on the bed, nursing a mug of what was likely tea, at this point in the day.

“That’s nice.” They smiled. Yamamoto would be proud of it. “Who are you and what are you doing in my home?” That gave him pause, blinking as he actually took in Tsuna’s demeanor.

“Ah, I’m Dino Cavallone, Reborn’s student before you. I- why don’t we move this someplace else?”

Tsuna smiled wider and ignored the man’s flinch.

* * *

 

“Still shitty as ever, Cavallone.” Was Gokudera’s only comment when he spotted the man. After he fell down the stairs. Tsuna winced in sympathy, but stepped over him in favour of the cup of tea Gokudera was offering.

“Fumante Bomba, nice to see you out of a gutter.” Was the reply, said to the floor with no bite. Tsuna still saw the flinch Gokudera gave, and “accidentally” knocked Dino back over when he clambered up. “ _Shit_!”

“You know, the name Dino Cavallone means absolutely nothing to me. Maybe to mom.” They pointed out.

“ Dino is the Decimo to the Cavallone famiglia, an ally family to the Vongola. They mostly deal in gambling and animal trafficking.” Reborn piped up. “He was sent to check on your progress.”

“Yeah!” Dino had bounced back up, barely missing slamming into the wall. “Reborn hasn’t been sending in any reports for some reason, so they sent me over, since I can blend in so easily.”

The teens stared at him incredulously.

“There were armed guards outside barring us from entering a majour suburban area, Cavallone.”

“They’re overprotective.”

“Wait.” Yamamoto raised a hand.” What are we talking about?”

There was a pregnant pause as the Italians remembered there was a civilian and Tsuna inwardly sighed.

“My mom accidentally married a crime family heir.” Luckily, Gokudera had swallowed before they said that. Didn’t stop him from choking on nothing, though. Yamamoto just nodded and smiled in understanding. “Ah, like the old man did with Kaa-san then. Poor you.”

“I swear to god I will _abandon_ you while they flirt-” Reborn cleared his throat, and Tsuna quieted sheepishly.

“..Alright then. Just why _did_ you go dark, Reborn?”

“Botched Sealing. Iemitsu and Nono.”

Dino’s expression darkened, and a sneer pulled at his lips.

“Well. That explains it. I hope you solved it? Are you doing better, Tsunayoshi?”

“Just Tsuna. Please. And, eh, I suppose? I got used to it for so long that everything’s jarring now.” They picked at their mug, frowning slightly. “I can feel my fingers for the first time in years, so I guess I’m doing good.” Another choking sound from Gokudera, poor thing. Tsuna resolved to never bring up the worst of it in front of him if this was how he was. “Trident Shamal handled it.”

Dino hummed. “Man’s a lecher, but he knows his shit when it comes to flames.” He took a seat at the table, leaning forward eagerly. “Enough of that, though! Well, not enough of that, rather let’s move from depressing topics to something that won’t cause anger-why don’t we talk? Reborn gave me an outline and all, but I want to hear everything from you!” A pause. “And first-hand information will help shut them up faster. So let’s talk! Student to student.”

Tsuna hesitated, glancing between the other four. The mafiosi in the group seemed to trust Dino, and their instincts weren’t pinging at them. And it might be nice to talk to someone just as exasperated as them...

They sat down.

* * *

 

Dino, it turned out, had been put through some hell on par with a shounen manga, with him playing the straight man through it all. How electrocuting someone to wake them up was seen as reasonable Tsuna didn’t know, seeing as Reborn just kept sipping at his tea and wouldn’t comment on _any_ of the shit Dino was saying. Which meant Tsuna could only take it as truth.

They shared a commiserating look with Yamamoto, seeing as Gokudera, at most, shuddered. Fucking foreigners.

Tsuna in turn complained about Dying Will bullets and how _answering homework at gunpoint was exactly conducive, was it_ , to which the Cavallone just nodded in sympathy.

“I remember Enrico when he was going through training- he was complaining everyday about the bullets and stamina building.” Tsuna tilted their head, frowning at his rueful smile.

“Enrico, he was one of the former heirs, right?” Dino’s smile dimmed.

“Yeah. We were close. It’s horrible what happened to him. But. You get used to that sort of thing, in the Underground.” Tsuna grimaced, letting _that_ depressing thought sit for a moment before they stretched, standing with a sigh.

“Well, I think a pickmeup would be good at this point; mom’s going to be home soon, anyways, so I’ll start up dinner.. Are you staying, Yamamoto-kun?” A nod. “You’re the new guest, Dino-san. What would you like?”

The boss startled, throwing his hands up and jostling the table. “A-ah, you don’t need to do anything! I know I must be unwelcome, what with recent events, it’s fine.” Tsuna gave him a bland look. Went over to the cupboard, opening it. Kicked open the pantry, and propped open the fridge. Dino quieted and stared at the veritable hoard. The others grinned.

“Dino-san?”

“....Gnocchi is nice...”

* * *

 

The house was warm and loud when Nana came home, reminding her of far-flung days in her childhood home. She toed off her shoes quietly as she listened to Gokudera yell at someone from the kitchen, exasperated and fond. The room was packed when she peeked in, her children all huddled by the counter around ingredients with a handful of men and Reborn watching with amusement from the table. The hitman easily noticed her, tipping his hat in greeting. On the table, someone had put a turtle under a casserole dish.

“Tsu-kun, Haya-kun, Takeshi, I’m home!” The three turned, Tsuna quickly bounding over to give her a hug. “Who are these handsome men, sweetie? I’d think you’re too young to be picking up callers, at your age.” Tsuna groaned as the other two blushed.

“This is Dino and his men, Kaa-san, please don’t make it like that. You and Yamamoto both, lord... Aa, that’s Romario on the end, Guillaume, Francisco, Adamo, and Marco. Vongola sent them to check in.”

Nana’s smile soured slightly. “Ah. I hope you six are finding it satisfactory so far?”

“Wait, but, Iemitsu said you didn’t know about the mafia?” Nana waved Dino’s comment off with a derisive chuff.

“The man also thinks I’m a civilian and that we have a son. I would advise against listening to him, Signor Cavallone.” Dino blinked and sat up straighter. No one had mentioned his surname at all, yet. Well.

“Just Dino is fine, ma’am.” He glanced towards Tsuna, a small, awkward smile present. “I suppose that’s another thing we can talk about then, Tsuna.”

Tsuna was confused for a moment, shuffling, as Gokudera made a contemplative noise. “Right, you used to go by Gabriella, didn’t you?”

Dino grimaced. A few of the henchmen glared and twitched. “Porca puttana, Fumante Bomba, _non lo dice*_. But..” He shrugged jerkily. “It’s common knowledge at this point, I suppose. I’d still prefer Dino, if it’s all the same to you.” He paused, shaking his head and perking up. “That’s unimportant at the moment, though. If you actually know about the mafia, do you want to hear some the stories I have about Iemitsu? Some of the things that man does, it’s unbelievable.”

Nana smiled sweetly, a gleam in her eyes as she took a seat next to Reborn.

“Oh, I’d be delighted, Dino.”

* * *

 

Tsuna yawned and burrowed deeper into their quilt. Dino was beside them, sprawled on his back.

It was a quiet night, neighbours having turned in early and the city far away. The stars burnt overhead as the crickets chirped. The air was getting warmer as summer slowly came, and it made for lovely nights.

“The mafia isn’t kind.” Tsuna turned their head. Dino’s face was unreadable. “It’s disgusting, and manipulative. Being close to anyone means risking yourself physically and emotionally. And for people like us..” He smiled bitterly. “There’s a reason my father told most of the lower branches that I was a hidden heir. Anyone involved with civilians picks up their opinions.”

Tsuna watched him before turning back to the stars. “That’s... unpleasant. But I’m still trapped in it. I can’t escape unless someone else is born or I die. Or Iemitsu steps up.” They hesitated, rubbing at their wrists. “I’m not saying it'll be easy, or that I’ll be fine. But I’m not a normal civilian in the first place, Dino. And I th... I’ve got Gokudera and Reborn, who are helping me avoid making my own noose.”

“And me.” The man heaved himself up. “You seem like a good person, Tsuna, genuinely good. You took me and mine in with no debt, took in Smokin’ Bomb. Here,” He passed over a card laden in numbers and email addresses. “If you need advice, or help with something, or just someone to rant to, I’m here. Timely responses are unlikely, but you’ll definitely get something. Just... think of me as your brother from Italy.” Tsuna looked at the card, eyeing it.

“You did this between the afternoon and dinner?” Dino smiled sheepishly.

“Had it prepared. Reborn tends not to take people under his wing who aren’t worthy. And, well...” He shrugged. Tsuna huffed and turned back to the sky.

A brother, huh? That could work.

* * *

 

The morning after, Tsuna headed down (completely awake! With no tripping!!!!) and stopped at the sight of Gokudera and Dino sat together in the kitchen. The two blonds were grim-faced, although Dino brightened when he saw the teen standing in the doorway.

“Tsuna! How did you sleep?” He tried to get up, but managed to hook his foot onto a chair leg, sending him sprawling. “Ow.”

“I slept well, thank you, Dino-nii. What about you two?” Wandering over, they brushed against Gokudera absentmindedly as they checked the pot. Good, someone had already started a brew.

“That beanstalk of an idiot wouldn’t keep to himself during the night.” Gokudera grunted. Yamamoto, who had parked himself next to Adamo on the couch, lazily snickered and waved. Dino, extracted from the floor, rose a brow.

“You slept together? Huh. Well, I slept fine. But I thought you had training at this hour, Tsuna?”

“Stamina requires fuel.” It was recited; Reborn had pounded the philosophy into their head- along with half a dozen other mantras that boiled down to “fucking take care of yourself”. Without the basics, he had said, nothing great would develop.

“That’s. Certainly true,” Dino rubbed at his mouth, bemused. “I forgot, that’s something you need to do, isn’t it? Kind of weird to hear, I guess. I was doing training when I was ten.”

“I train with Tsuna-sama as well.” Gokudera snapped, because he was a defensive puppy. “It’s useful, civilian or not.” Dino put his hands up in acquiesence, Tsuna ignored the byplay and instead started in on breakfast, shoving as many eggs as humanly possible into the pan. Yamamoto joined in a minute later, efficiently plating and handing off ready servings.

“So. Training?” Tsuna gave a hum.

“Crime family heir, remember? I can run and dodge, and that’s about it. And that’s not really good.” They paused to take a drag of coffee. Paused. “I just realised. Doesn’t this stuff stunt growth?” Yamamoto snorted, and was quiet for a moment.

“And Gokudera is your underling.”

“Friend.” He pursed his lips.

“Still a bit of a jump from town surveyor.”

“I can’t really avoid it.” Their expression turned from absently content to a grimace, before fading away. Their voice dropped to a murmur, letting the others’ rise higher. “I don’t want to do it, but what else is there for me? I’m just _Dame-Tsuna_. The best I’ll ever manage is something where I’m the last resort.”

The duo fell silent, Gokudera’s yelling and Dino’s laughter washing over them. Though Tsuna couldn’t see it, Yamamoto’s expression hardened to one of resolve, and his eyes shifted to an ash blue.

“I’ll join you, then.”

It went silent. Tsuna turned off the burner, staring at Yamamoto.

“What?”

“I’ll join you. Or, stick with you, I guess.” His gaze was calm, focused. “You saved my life, Tsuna, and stayed with me when no one but Pops really cared. So I’ll stay with you during this.” He grinned. “It’ll be interesting in the long run, ne?”

“Kid, this is the _Mafia_ , you realise, not some _game._ Joining means killing, committing crimes, putting your family in danger. _”_ Yamamoto turned to the suit who spoke, smile sharp as a knife.

“Aa, isn’t everything a game, though? Live, die, kill, save, it all just adds up to nothing at the end anyways.” Before Tsuna could cut in, because that was frankly _fucking worrying_ , Yamamoto’s stance changed, edges turning benign with humour. “Dad always did want to teach me the sword, anyways. This’ll make him happy.”

“He’ll likely be _upset_ , _Takeshi_. Please-” They broke off, at a loss. Gokudera, the only other one with any clue to how the boy functioned, looked just as lost when they glanced over to him. The tall boy’s edges finally softened at that, and he leaned down, nudging foreheads.

“This is my choice, Tsuna. I’ve thought it through. Let me stand with you.” The smell of rain and moss was overwhelming, and his eyes were determined, fond, glowing with an internal light. Tsuna relaxed minutely, leaning in with an exhale. A small part was going haywire, while the rest was resigned. They ignored both until someone sniffed.

The guards were crying oh god what the fuck.

“It’s just so poetic, bonding like that, ignore me.” Francisco dabbed at his eyes, passing around his handkerchief. Tsuna gave them all a bug-eyed stare. Dino just looked amused.

“Well, that’s one way to do it.”

“Do _WHAT_.”

“Bond?” Tsuna stayed bug-eyed. Dino shifted awkwardly. “Do you... not know what that is? I thought, well, we all thought, with how you and Gokudera are. Uh.”

“We’re bonded?” Now the bomber was bug-eyed. Dino stared at the the three and valiantly wished drinking was appropriate at six in the morning.

“Let’s get Nana.”

* * *

 

Training was further postponed that morning in favour of giving the trio an explanation that amounted to the birds and the bees. Because apparently public education was failing in more ways than one and these brats only knew how to put slot A in tab B.

More than one of them was blushing.

“So.. no magical telepathy or instant connection or anything.” Dino shot Yamamoto an amused glance from his spot in the corner.

“This isn’t a romcom or some bodice ripper novel, so no. It’s just your body going ‘hey, let’s not eviscerate them, they’re cool’.” Tsuna looked particularly uncomfortable at that wording for reasons Dino wasn’t contemplating. “It’s like an unspoken promise not to fuck with each other or let others fuck with each other.”

“It also affects flame users in other ways.” The group (excluding Nana) jumped, turning to the small hitman that had somehow snuck to the table.

“Flame?”

“External showing of will and life force.” Yamamoto stayed blank-faced. “It’s not important. Essentially, with flame users, bonds can lead to harmonisation depending on the type of flames the two have.” His voice slipped into lecture mode as he pulled a chart out of nowhere. “There are seven common types of flames: Sky, sun, rain, storm, cloud, mist, and lightning. Two users who have bonded tend to have higher outputs when in close proximity, with output increased exponentially if one of them is a Sky. They also may have easier access to them, depending on the circumstances.”

A pause. Reborn pointed Leon, who had shifted to a stick at some point, at them in turn. “For reference, Tsuna is a Sky, one of the least common types of flame. Hayato is likely a Storm flame, and Yamamoto a Rain. They each have different attributes.”

“Right, you told me I was a Sky the day Mochida challenged me, didn’t you?” Tsuna said thoughtfully.

“You mean the day you beat him unconscious in your skivvies?” Yamamoto said gleefully, because he liked to torment his friends. Tsuna rolled their eyes and slapped Gokudera on the back as he spluttered. Again.

“Yes, it was readily apparent even before I activated your flames. Dino is a sky as well.” He paused. “I’d continue, but you have ten minutes before first bell. Have fun running.”

Hibari was gleeful when they arrived two minutes late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Fuck's sake, Smoking Bomb, DON'T SAY IT.


	8. Double Tap

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> huehue

The thing the adults hadn’t mentioned when they explained was this: the fact they were bonded would be obvious to  _ absolutely everyone.   _

There hadn’t been one moment when Tsuna  _ hadn’t  _ been getting stares. Gokudera and Yamamoto had been as well, but not to the extent the smaller teen had. They ranged from incredulous to stunned and pissed to even  _ jealous _ like what the  _ fuck _ . It was making them crawl up the wall. 

And it didn’t help that through this all, people just started assuming they had presented now that their body wasn’t failing and actually outputting scent right. And, with how Tsuna was and how these assholes were, everyone was assuming they were an  _ omega _ .

There would be nothing wrong with it if they were, sure, of course not. It was the sexist assumption that they must be one because they weren’t biting at competition and trying to fuck everything that pissed them off.

“Tsu-kun!” They lifted their head from their arms, watching Kyoko bounce over. It was lunch, and they had elected to stay inside this time, if only because there were enough rumours and  _ they would rather people stop insinuating they were fucking the guys, thanks _ , which meant Kyoko and Hana being able to talk to them today. “Ah, or is it Tsuna-chan?”

“Kun is fine, Kyoko-chan.” They said around a piece of sushi, because Yamamoto just sort of shoved it at them.

“Tsuna-kun! Congratulations, all three of you on bonding!” She beamed at them, sugar-sweet. Tsuna had seen that smile directed at the thugs Ryohei beat. They sank down just a little. “Although I am a little upset that they got to you before me, Tsuna.”

“Apologies for being sick.” They muttered. The mutter turned into a squeal when Kyoko grabbed and pulled them close, not at all thinking at how their head was chest height. They relaxed regardless, hindbrain recognising the mix of lemon and vanilla that meant  _ Kyoko _ .

“ _ Hiei- _ .”

“That’s better!” She ignored Hana’s and  _ EVERYONE ELSE’S _ stares, releasing Tsuna with a smile. 

“...So. That aside. It was a medical thing? Your scent was always so faint that I thought you were on blockers half the time.” Hana said, pulling her eyes away from her insane friend.

“Uh. No, I, I am. This was just happening too.” The group stared at them. “What?”

“Ne, Tsuna, if your scent’s this strong even on blockers, do you think you’re an alpha?” Yamamoto grinned. “That’d mess with people.”

“Yamamoto-”

“Takeshi.”

“Eh?” The teen shrugged, grin still in place.

“You let me call you Tsuna. So you can call me Takeshi.” Tsuna tried not to flush, and probably failed, going by.. Takeshi’s grin.

“Okay. Takeshi, I have enough horseshit without that happening.”

“But what if it does?” They all turned to Gokudera. The boy had been quiet up until this point. “You can’t control what you turn out as.”

“Well, I wouldn’t have a problem being an alpha, it’s not really- it’s how others would give me flak. Since I’m not the epitome of an alpha, female or male, I would always be.” They hesitated, looking for a softer word and failing. “I’d be the outcast who no one acknowledges, I guess. Moreso.” They paused. Looked more closely at the boy. He had bags under his eyes, and his fingers were covered in stains from organising dynamite and rolling cigarettes. All in all, he looked stressed. “Are  _ you  _ worried about that sort of thing, Gokudera-kun?” They asked slowly.

The punk didn’t answer, gnawing on his lip and fidgeting. Tsuna’s brow furrowed. “Gokudera-kun?”

“Shamal told me there’s a near-perfect chance I’m an omega, unless I turn out to somehow be intersex. He picked up on it when he visited.” It came out barely a mutter. The four looked between each other. Hana and Kyoko may have not been as involved in the group, but... Gokudera looked near tears. Without a word, Takeshi gathered their lunches while Tsuna herded Gokudera out of the classroom, Hana and Kyoko distracting the herd so they could escape without notice.

Kusakabe, bless his gelled and styled heart, let them in the Committee room without a word. Tsuna nodded at him in thanks and resolved to ask Nana to direct the police just a little further from the Committee.

Gokudera was pliant as they sat him down on the sofa. Takeshi took to his side, warm pillar he was, with Tsuna in front of him. The girls slipped in naught a minute later.

“Gokudera-kun- Hayato.  _ What  _ makes you so upset about being an omega?” They asked gently.

“It’s a liability! Being like  _ that _ for three months out of year- it, it’s terrifying and dangerous and, and how am I supposed to serve if I can’t even think of anything but  _ fucking _ !?” Tsuna leaned back on their haunches. Well. 

“There’s always suppressants, Gokudera-kun.My father takes them, and he just ends up a little groggy during it.” Kyoko supplied helpfully, not at all touching on that “serving” comment, 

But they would. “And I’d say  _ service _ -” Tsuna stopped, trying to reign in the sheer  _ anger  _ at all that implied. Whoever got to Hayato first best never appear. Whoever came near  _ Tsuna  _ insinuating was getting their glands mauled. “Let’s set this out first, as I want it clear: Being an omega, with all it comes with, would never make you weak, or unfit to ‘ _ serve _ ’, Hayato. My mother is an omega, and she’s the strongest person I know. My oldest  _ friend _ is an omega, and the only people who aren’t terrified of him are his family and mine. Being an omega doesn’t impede them. And it wouldn’t- won't- impede you, in whatever you want.”

“But-” He stopped, Covered his face with a hand and mumbled something. Tsuna tugged it away. He was shamefaced. “I’m not- like that. Tsuna-sama, I’m the smoke that gets passed around before it’s left to burn out. I’m not worth that sort of consideration when this just means getting passed around in more ways, now.”

A snarl rose out of their throat unbidden. It made the girls jump, and made Hayato look even more miserable and terrified, but Tsuna didn’t care at that point.

“Hayato.” He looked up. Baulked. “Do you remember what I said, back when we first met?”

They could  _ taste  _ the uncertainty. “That- that you were a civilian?”

“That I wasn’t mafia.” They corrected, leaning in and palming a cheek. “That I don’t think like them. Think about it this way, Hayato. You are  _ mine _ , and nothing touches what’s mine.” They smiled sweetly. “ _ All of you are. _ ” 

A part of their brains were going fucking insane at the declaration, Hayato blushing heavily and Takeshi stupidly satisfied, and Kyoko tugging them all down into a puppy-pile with a gleeful smile.

* * *

 

Hibari slammed the door to the reception open halfway into fifth period. Tsuna lazily looked up from where they had been using Takeshi’s stomach as a pillow.

“Truancy violates the rules of Namimori-chuu.” It was said in a conversational tone, as if he wasn’t leaking killing intent and making Hayato stiff as a board.

“You’re killing the mood, Hibari-senpai.” Tsuna covered Takeshi’s mouth and prayed to god for patience.

“There was a personal situation that needed immediate attention, Kyouya. I apologise for letting it run this long.” Hibari eyed them and the pile, and then took a careful, delicate sniff. His eyes narrowed marginally.

Tsuna then promptly had the air knocked out of them as the prefect collapsed and shoved his head into their stomach. There was a tense moment, before they heard the tiny chuff that meant he had fallen asleep.

Takeshi and Kyoko were trying not to laugh as Tsuna stared up at the ceiling.

_ What the fuuuuck. _

* * *

 

They were all amused. Of course they were. With the whole of the group following Tsuna back home, it was painfully obvious that it had been a  _ fun  _ day.

“My baby’s building their own pride!” Nana had murmured into their  _ hello-happiness-home  _ greeting hug, and she hadn’t stopped cooking since, insisting Tsuna take a break for the day. Tsuna watched and hoped the idiots at the station didn’t take this as an excuse to slack off for the day.

Reborn was amused at it all, the asshole.

“It’s to be expected, with the seal suddenly gone. Suddenly, you’ve gone from a near vacuum of scent and flame to being open to all the bonds that were already forming.” He told them, later that night, after everyone had left and Hayato had shuffled his things into what was now his room. “You’re a very powerful Sky, Tsuna, and Skies always attract.” Tsuna shot him an annoyed glance. Such a thing apparently meant attracting and juggling people so different they were always at throats.

Well, Hayato and Hana were. Takeshi was alternately egging on any arguments and watching in amusement while Kyoko pretended it was perfectly normal. Kyouya ignored all of them and fled to the backyard to nap.

But.

It was nice.

Tsuna had sighed at least five times before dinner, and they had to throw away a few plates, but.

Nice.

* * *

 

“Tsuna?” Takeshi had a strange look on his face, staring down at the math homework they were- surprisingly- muddling through with only mild difficulty. “Earlier in the Committee room, you said your oldest friend was an omega?”

Tsuna blinked, sharing a glance with Gokudera, who had been halfway through explaining something about quadratics. That mess of a day had been nearly a week ago, and the fact any of them remembered the details was a feat.

“Er. Yes, I guess?”

“Isn’t your only friend besides us and the girls Hibari-senpai?” Tsuna tried to ignore the sting at that, because it was true and the boy hadn’t meant any insult. They nodded.

“Wait- are you saying that demon is an  _ omega _ ?” They both had disbelieving looks now. Tsuna only gave them a weak shrug.

“I, uh, guess I am? I mean, he is, believe me, it’s hard to think otherwise when I accidentally found his birth control.” The staring got worse, and Tsuna rolled their eyes with a scowl. “Look, is it a big deal? I’d have thought by now you two wouldn’t bother with stereotypes, considering how well they turn out.”

“You have to admit though, Tsuna-sama, that man fits them to a T. Aggressive, violent, possessive. Frankly, I thought this whole time that he’d claimed the town as his territory.” 

“Nests and territory are practically the same thing. And he’s not possessive.” Tsuna frowned.

“He started a city-wide investigation into our educational system because you were being harassed, Tsuna.” Well. Couldn’t argue with that. 

Gokudera tapped his pen, thinking. “I mean, I can’t really argue with him there, but it’s drastic, exactly what you would expect from an alpha protecting pack.”

“Okay, he acts like a knothead, I get it.” They rubbed at their face, flushed. “Believe me, he doesn’t consider me pack or anything like that.”

“Last week, though-”

“He-he considers me a  _ pup _ , okay.” 

There was a pregnant pause.

“So-”

“Yes.”

“He’s a  _ protective papa _ !” Takeshi crowed.

“ _ Takeshi! _ ”

* * *

 

It was remarkable how relaxing running actually was. At this point, a month after the seal was broken, Reborn had caught onto how they relaxed into the routine, keeping speed without the need for threatening encouragements. The fact they could run and feel it, the burn and how it levelled off and on, how they didn’t immediately start off wheezing and with an irregular heartbeat, it was nice. They took full advantage of it. Reborn left the duo to it in the mornings, now, only ensuring they left and returned within their time limit. They had a feeling it was a show of trust, and didn’t abuse it.

One morning, as they were passing one of the smaller neighborhood stores with Gokudera, they heard a yelling. It was faintly familiar, and they slowed for a moment, frowning. It was- north? They think? There was something nudging them to follow it, and they turned off their route, Gokudera following without question. They’d still be getting exercise at least, so no one could complain.

They almost slammed into Sasagawa Ryohei less than five blocks later, who was going full-tilt down the street.

“SAWADA!” Oh god he was as loud as usual it was too early for this- “What are you doing up at this hour?”

“Run-running.” They panted out, coming down from the heart rate they had been keeping up. Ryohei’s eyes lit up, and they realised belatedly it had been a mistake to mention exercise to the upperclassman.

“That’s so EXTREME, dedicating yourself! I’ll run with you, Sawada!”

And that’s how Ryohei got invited to breakfast, after running the two ragged and still making sure they were home to meet Reborn’s curfew.

When Takeshi showed up, they were in the middle of being regaled about the wonders of joining the boxing club. The look on his face was sympathetic, but it didn’t stop him from cackling when the trio was finally left in silence at their classroom door.

Tsuna pushed him into the wall and thanked Kyoko for being the sane sibling.

* * *

 

Ryohei joined them the next day. And the next. And didn’t stop. It was like they’d switched out one trainer from hell for another, because Ryohei had no qualms about pushing the two lowerclassmen as far as he could without thinking. He’d slow down at points, sure, because the way to better yourself wasn’t by running to collapse, but  _ damn  _ if he didn’t go full-effort every other minute.  _ Comparatively _ , though, he was better than the other addition on their route.

Addition may be putting it too heavily though.

There was a kid, see, two, really, that Tsuna saw every morning. It didn’t quite matter where, they’d eventually see them- rummaging through dumpsters, bothering early-risers, running around the streets. They, at first, had thought they were the children of some irresponsible parents, and had scowled and resolved to report them to Nana so she could arrange something later on. 

Until the smaller one had pulled a grenade out of his disaster of an afro and hurled it at the other.

Then Tsuna went running, barely managing to catch them both and take cover before the explosive went off. It left a crater in the road. Tsuna stared at it, trying to reign in the sheer disbelief and confusion. The children decided that, apparently, being saved from death was insulting, and one of them socked the teen in the chin. By the time Tsuna had stopped seeing stars and Gokudera had stopped cursing, the kids were long gone. 

Nana, when she saw them come home early, one of them sporting a bruise and both scowls, immediately went into mother-hen mode. It got worse when Tsuna brought up the kids. They left her to her anger and went to freshen up, because it wasn’t like they could really help an hour away from school, could they?

* * *

 

Tsuna stared at the children at their kitchen table, and then at the clock which read barely past four.

“That was fast.” They remarked. Both were sat in chairs, glasses of milk they had yet to touch in front of them. The... egg-shaped one was tense, squinting at each of them in turn, while what Tsuna was assuming was a boy was marveling at an old action figure. Nana tsked from her place at the stove, giving off an air of angry satisfaction. Miura-san, the one who had found them, wore a disapproving look.

“I found them loitering outside the bakery- the little boy was trying to sneak in the back door to take some of the pastries.” 

“Lambo-sama was hungry!” He whined. What kind of damn name was  _ Lambo _ ? Gokudera next to them stiffened, but only shook his head when they glanced over. Sighing instead, they went over to rummage through the pantry, pulling out some weird grape cracker thing one of the minions had brought over after an overseas trip that they all refused to touch.

They did not predict the squealing that would follow. Or the hug. 

“Uh.”

“Lambo-sama likes you! He will make you his minion! You’ll be better than I-pin, she can’t even see! She kept getting us lost when we were playing.” Tsuna carefully held still while the tiny hellion climbed all over them, taking a careful sniff. Lambo was all woolly-static, tickling their nose, with an undercurrent of nervousness tampered by fear and contentment. Weird mix.

Miura-san, seeing her job was done, abandoned them to it with a rough goodbye and promise of some croissants for next month. She passed the boys, who had yet to stop looking panicked at the sight of small children. Tsuna shooed them off, watching as they practically ran up the stairs.

Idiots.

“Can you tell me what you were doing on the streets, Lambo-kun?” Nana finally piped up. She turned, setting a large plate of gyoza down. Tsuna eyed it, not saying anything. The kids  _ had  _ been on the streets.

I-pin, the girl, said something absolutely incomprehensible. “Lambo-sama and I-pin are hitmen!” Lambo followed up, like that was in any way more understandable, “I-pin’s target is some old ugly man, and Lambo’s is the hitman Reborn! Lambo got on a plane and reached Japan, but then he got lost, and met I-pin, and we’ve been playing, and trying to, find our targets to... gether...” His voice grew weaker and weaker as the scent coming off Nana grew sharper and more pungent. When she finally moved, just a twitch, he flinched back like he’d been struck.

“Mom, why don’t you go find Reborn and ask him what the mafia’s regulations on this sort of thing are?” Tsuna said, deliberately keeping their voice steady. Nana jerkily nodded, stalking off to some unknown part of the house. Tsuna waited until she was fully gone, scent and all, before turning back to the children. “It’s alright, Lambo-kun.”

“She was so angry...” He whispered. He had yet to look away from the doorway. Tsuna’s heart was in their stomach, but they kept the smile on their face. I-pin reached out to the boy, patting his arm and saying something else in her language.

“She wasn’t angry at you, Lambo-kun. My mamma loves children very much, and she just doesn’t like them doing things like you two are.” They paused, wondering how to phrase this. “She... doesn’t like how the mafia works, using children like that. You are both mafia, right?”

“I-pin Triads!” Well, that was something. She must have picked up on the mafia part. Lambo still looked uncertain, but had finally gone back to his treat.

“Why are you trying to kill Reborn, Lambo?” 

“Lambo’s family said that if he does, he can come back!” Tsuna stilled. “They said if Lambo can bring back his head, they’ll make me heir to the Bovino and I’ll get tons of candy!”

A five year-old, taking down a decades-old mercenary. Tsuna forcefully turned to I-pin. “What about you, I-pin? Why are you in Namimori, who’s your target?” She gave them a blank stare. They fumbled for a way to communicate. “Um. Target? Hit?  _ Taru-target _ ?  _ O-Obiettivo _ ?” She finally lit up in understanding as one of those hit home, digging out a picture from her.. Chinese-styled martial arts robe. Goddamnit, she was probably Chinese, wasn’t she, she must have been speaking Mandarin or Cantonese. They’d have to call Kyoya.

They looked at the picture. That was one ugly fucker. Also a dead fucker, if the gossip going around the lower circles were right. Nana had mentioned months ago that this shithead had already been taken out for violating some of the rules Namimori’s Momo-Kyokai had instituted.

“He’s-he’s dead already, I-pin.” They fumbled for something, finally grabbing a pen and x-ing the picture. “Dead, yeah?”

“Target eliminated?” Tsuna nodded vigorously. I-pin considered that, and seemed to deflate. They floundered, trying to think of what to say. Here they were, sitting with two child weapons as they ate. They couldn’t even blame it completely on the mafia, considering I-pin was part of the Triads.

There was a shuffling by the doorway. They looked up, seeing a distraught Nana with Reborn in her arms. Farther by the stairs, they could see Gokudera and Takeshi, hovering and watching it all. Tsuna almost waved them in before remembering at last moment-

“Reborn! DIE!” Oh god there was another grenade fucking fuck- Nana ducked to the side as Lambo jumped up and bashed his head into Tsuna’s chin, Takeshi snatching the grenade like lightning and dashing to the backyard. There was a loud, rumbling explosion, and they distantly heard something crack as they nursed their once-again aching chin.

They looked down in time to see Lambo slam face-forward into the linoleum. They all paused for a hot second, because the situation was  _ unreal _ , before there was a small sniffle.

“Lambo-kun? Are you alright?” Nana shuffled forward.

“Tol-er-ate-” The boy held on to his tears for a millisecond before he broke down squalling. And then  _ pulled a bazooka from his hair, aiming it straight at himself. _

Tsuna barely had time to dash forward, shoving upwards and away from him as it went off. Right into their face.


	9. Reflex

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is a bit short this time around! mostly just uh, building up to other stuff and finishing some scenes i guess  
> also i had to adjust the time, because i realised i was following american school schedules, urgh; so now instead of september, its around the end of july, following the first term holiday of japan schools  
> i was wondering if some of you guys would be willing to answer a question?? this story pulls in a lot of readers for my other stories as well, and i was wondering if some of you could give input as to what my writing style really.... is? ive got really old stuff on here, and reading it, i can tell im definitely smoother, but i cant really see how others may view it? and im really curious, since it seems to have reached the point where people uh. actually like what i write, regardless of the fandom. so. im curious. thanks aha

Later, Tsuna will remember the smell of wine and cooked food, as well as laughter and  _ amusement-exasperation-contentment  _ that flowed through the room. In the present, they were too focused on the stench of gunpowder and smoke and  _ anger _ -

Someone snarled, and suddenly there was an arm around their waist, pulling them to a broad chest. Their face was pressed into a neck, and they could feel a deep voice growling as they tried calm, breathing in a scent that blared both danger and safety.

“Tsuna-sama? Tsuna-sama.” They carefully looked up, keeping their breathing even. There were... a lot of faces. A lot of unfamiliar faces, broad and sharp and in between all staring at them. Across from them, an ash-blond with green eyes was carefully watching, wafting worry like a perfume. “Is that you?”

“...Goku-Gokudera-kun? What- you’re-?” The man winced, glancing over to a teenager at his side. The boy only shrugged.

“Yes, it’s me, Tsuna-sama. It’s... a bit complicated, but I promise everything will be normal in about two minutes.” There was a snort. Tsuna twisted round to come nose-to-nose with a scarred face.

“HIEI-?” The man abruptly lifted them, dropping them into another chair. “Is-is there a  _ reason  _ I was in your lap _? _ ” 

“Scent.” The man said, offering nothing else in favour of taking a swig of. Uh. Alcohol? At, what, four in the afternoon? Gokudera sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Yes, thank you, let’s never do that again though because frankly it was a bit nauseating to look at-”

“Voi, the FUCK are you saying you  _ SHITTY  _ gutter rat-”

“Maa, is there really any need for that-”

“Shouldn’t we be worrying about the affects of the bazooka on the-”

“ _ Well- _ ”

And the whole room burst into chaos. Some grey-haired fellow was screaming at what could only be Takeshi, Gokudera was trying to strangle one of them, and everyone else was picking sides. Mister Bad Decisions was still drinking from his glass, watching it all with the amused air of someone who couldn’t give a fuck.

There was a movement out of the corner of their eye. They turned to see. Reborn? Tall?? Standing in a doorway with a cigarette perched in one hand. He gave a jaunty wave just as smoke obscured their vision and their ears popped, and suddenly they were back in their own kitchen, blinking.

Everyone was staring at them like they were an alien. They were pretty sure Gokudera had stars in his eyes.

“Tsuna-sama’s a  _ queen bee _ .” The blond whispered, which. What.

“What.”

“It’s nothing to worry about Tsuna-chan.” Nana said, although she was still a little bug-eyed, “Just some, surprises, I suppose. Your future self was very, er, different from what we would have expected.”

They tilted their head.

“My  _ what _ .”

* * *

 

Their life was officially a bad shounen manga. The Bovino were also officially marked as to-be-snubbed, as there was only so much one could take, and child murder and possible world-ending timespace experiments were not on the list.

They took away the bazooka and hid it in the attic, and tried not to think about the Bovino for a long while.

* * *

 

I-pin had a master, it turned out, who Reborn knew. The man was cagey at first about it, before Nana had worked him over into admitting they were one of his old associates. Another Arcobaleno, at that, which had sent Gokudera into a tizzy and Nana into a subtle armoring of the house.

His comments that Fon was one of the calmer members didn’t reassure the two in the slightest. 

The man himself showed up on a Tuesday morning, the heat already rising thanks to the June weather. Tsuna had opened the door to make sure Takeshi hadn’t shown up yet and had almost run into him.

“Oh.” They said, because there wasn’t much else to say when faced with an infant in a changshan. “Hello. Can I help you?”

“Good morning. My name is Fon; I am looking for my colleague Reborn. I was told he was staying here?” A lightbulb went off in their head, and they looked closer, now easily seeing the pacifier hanging around his neck. They subtly sniffed as well, and there was the same non-scent that hung around Reborn, shrouded in jade and wood instead of coffee and gunpowder.

“Yes, he’s here, please come in. My name is Sawada Tsuna. He’ll probably, uh, show up soon.” Nana being Nana easily accepted their morning guest and prepared him a plate, smiling at his thanks.

“If you’re here for I-pin, I’m afraid you’ll have to wait about a half-hour.” She said apologetically, tucking into her own food. “She’s staying with a family friend for now, since he can speak Mandarin- I never got around to more than the basics, and Tsu-chan doesn’t know any at all.”

“It’s alright, Sawada-san, I trust she is in good hands.” They went into mindless conversation after that, talking about recent happenings and underground gossip. Tsuna watched him out of the corner of their eye, wondering. Reborn popped up at some point, Gokudera in tow, and they easily joined the fray. By the time Kyouya had shown up, Takeshi following behind with I-pin in his arms, the three criminals had somehow gotten into a debate about the new Longchamp heir, some incompetent beta trying for a harem. Tsuna had been desperate for someone who would make  _ actual sense _ when they were talking and had jumped at the chance to greet the two. It gave them the perfect view of Kyouya when he A: Realised just  _ who  _ I-Pin’s master was, and B: Went fucking insane.

“HIEI-!” He snatched them by the waist, tugging them close and snarling at the man seated at the table. Fon only paused, shoulders slumping slightly.

“Ah, I should have realised. Good morning, Kyouya.” The boy snarled louder, hugging Tsuna closer. “I am not here to encroach, you can stop that.” He gave a pointed look to where Tsuna was wheezing.  Kyouya looked down himself, and rearranged his grip to be more holding than squeezing. “Kyouya.”

“Kyouya- seriously-” Tsuna smacked him upside the head, sighing in relief when he finally let go. They pat down their uniform, readjusting their tie with a scowl.

“Why are you here.”

“I-Pin is my  _ student _ , Kyouya. When Reborn told me she had been sent out by the Triads, I had to make sure she was alright.” Said girl had run to the little man, engulfing him in a hug as she talked a mile a minute. “I thought your mother would have stopped this sort of attitude by now, honestly.”

“Are we talking about the same woman?” Nana asked. Fon considered that and grimaced.

“True.” The group stood at a standstill now. Tsuna glanced at Kyouya, and back to Takeshi. They tilted their head a little bit, gesturing, hoping the boy would get it-? He looked at Kyouya and blanched.  _ No.  _ Tsuna pouted.  _ No!!  _ He made an x with his arms. Tsuna let their eyes moisten, just a bit.  _ Shit, fine _ .

Gokudera snickered when Takeshi grabbed Kyouya and dragged him out before he could react. He stopped laughing when a tonfa managed to make a hole in the genkan’s wall.

* * *

 

“Has Fon-san always been like that, Kyouya?” The older teen cracked one eye open to glare at Tsuna. Tsuna was unrepentant and just shoved another piece of ham at him. “Like. Baby-ish, I guess. Because that’s not normal, right?”

“I heard it’s because of the Arcobaleno curse.” Gokudera piped up. “Something about their pacifiers does it to them, although no one really knows why. The seven of them are highly secretive.”

“That man’s been like that for as long as I remember.” Hibari grunted. Tsuna frowned down at their lunch, thinking.

“So, they’re not... naturally like that. Just. Stuck? That’s...” 

“Tsuna-sama?” Tsuna shook their head. 

“It’s nothing, nevermind.”

* * *

 

I-Pin stayed with the Hibari. It was a little weird, seeing how enamoured she was with Kyouya, but Ichiko-san had gotten attached the moment she went home with him, and had insisted she stay when Fon explained the situation and how he just wasn’t comfortable creating a child soldier, you know? Lines need to be drawn somewhere so could you take her, thanks, bye.

Fon being her uncle probably helped, but it was mostly just I-Pin being cute and murderous. Her presence had brought up some questions, though.

“Am I going to learn how to fight?” They asked Reborn one day, fiddling with their pencil. The man paused in where he was grading their Italian assignment-  _ fuck _ Italian, seriously, fuck the Roman alphabet in general- and considered them carefully.

“Eventually.” He said. “It’ll be difficult finding something suited to you, since there’s also the issue of overriding your reflexes to think about. Why?” Tsuna shrugged, grimacing.

“You have me learning different languages and running and all this other stuff, and I thought it was kind of weird I wasn’t learning that too..?” Reborn hummed and made another correction.

“Do you  _ want  _ to?”

“...Yes? I think?” They shifted, staring down at their hands. “Things are.. Better, in school, but. It’s not the only place I’m going to be threatened, and... Dino-nii made a good point when he was here. The mafia isn’t going to be sunshine and roses, and I need to be prepared for that.”

“Then I’ll arrange something sooner than later.”

* * *

 

They had a month of absolutely no school. It was... Tsuna glanced over to Kyoko and Hana, hunched over a desk. Gokudera was hovering, waiting to leave, and Takeshi was off talking to his old teammates.

“This is a lot more anticlimactic than I thought.” They muttered.

“What did you expect?” The blond boy leaned out the window, watching the flood of students leave or loiter in the courtyard.

“Something? A burst of feeling, or maybe a sense of excitement?” They watched someone fall ass-over-head and skid on the pavement. “Mostly I’m just glad exams are over. I think I’ve been reading too much manga.”

“Oi, Sawada.” They startled, turning towards Hana. “Do you and the others want to hang out this weekend? Me and Kyoko are thinking about going window shopping, maybe checking out that new cafe on seventh street.”

“Aa.” Was there a reason she was... asking  _ them _ , and not the others? “Sure? I- yes, I’d love to. Uhm, Gokudera-kun-?”

“Where Tsuna-sama goes, I go.” Oh-kay then. Tsuna turned back to the girl, glaring when they saw her amused expression.

“I’m pretty sure Takeshi will want to go, so. Sure.” Kyoko grinned and clapped her hands.

“Perfect!”

It was not perfect.

Their food was bubbling, and the coffee had a green tinge to it. The group stared at it dubiously while Tsuna poked the cake with a fork. The cake twitched.

“Who served you that?” Hana finally asked. “And how do we report them?”

“It was this European woman I think?” They glanced at the counter, where said woman was lurking, keeping an inconspicuous eye on their table. “She’s the alpha one with the weird red hair and uh, bug tattoo?”

“Bug-” Gokudera let out a strangled noise. “Fuck. Give me that, Tsuna-sama.” The boy grabbed their plate and marched up to the counter, head down. He shoved it at the woman, who looked stunned.

“Uh. I guess he knows her?”

“Crime, maybe?” Takeshi said. “Maybe she’s a rival. Or an old partner. Ooo, or what about-”

“Takeshi, stop.” The woman said something, and Gokudera finally looked up, voice raising into a shout- before he wheezed and went down like a stone. “Holy-  _ Hayato _ !” They ran over, checking his breathing, eyes, “What- can you hear me?  _ Please don’t do this you are literally the only one with defense lessons here _ -”

“Ah, he’s still so delicate.” A rich voice murmured. Tsuna glared up at the woman. “Although I am surprised he’s so attached to you, Decimo. He usually hates his employers.”

“I’m not his  _ employer _ , you encroacher, I’m just  _ his _ .” They snapped. Takeshi was a warm line at their back and they pressed into him, knowing how sharp his expression would be. “Takeshi, help me. Hana, go let Miura-san know-  _ why  _ she let someone like this work in her cafes-” But it didn’t matter. The woman was gone by the time they had Gokudera hauled over their shoulders.

He had come to when they arrived at Takesushi, letting them pull him silently into the adjoining house. Tsuyoshi-san sent Tsuna a dark look, promising they would have their privacy.

“She’s my sister.” He finally spit out, leaning heavily against a couch. “Il Veleno Scorpione. Poison-maker and assassin.”

Hana held up a hand. “No. Wait. Assassin?” The three looked between each other, uncomfortable. How much could be said?

“I’m... not exactly as clean as my mom, Kurokawa. My dad’s made sure of it.” Tsuna said delicately. Hana stared.

“Are you saying your dad dragged you into organised crime?” They nodded sheepishly. “And Gokudera’s involved. And calls you  _ Tsuna-sama.  _ Is your life turning into a crappy manga, or is that just me?”

“I keep asking myself that, don’t worry. But, uh, yeah, basically. Takeshi and Kyouya are involved too, and it’s. Yeah. Sorry for not saying anything?”

“It’s alright, Tsuna-kun.” Kyoko reached over and pulled them into a hug, rubbing cheeks. “It must have been hard, hiding it, but we’re here with you all the way. That’s what friends are for!”

“You... it’s not some little game to sign off on, Sasagawa.” Gokudera grit out, straightening from his slouch. Colour was coming back to his face. “We told this idiot the same thing- this is death, and breaking laws, and being the worst of society for a living.”

“And  _ you’re  _ alright with that? You, Sawada, Yamamoto?” Tsuna shied from Hana’s gaze. Takeshi grinned sharply.

“I’m.. I’m not, I won’t lie. But there’s not much else for me to do, Kurokawa- I’m the only heir to the most powerful family across Europe, and they won’t let me wiggle out of that easily. Believe me, if I could, I’d be continuing on with my mom’s work, not preparing for this.”

“Well, why not keep doing that?” They all stared at Kyoko. She smiled. “There’s nothing saying you can’t run the family how you want. You could be morally  _ ambiguous  _ instead of  _ a _ moral. Keep other criminals in line and regulate trade, like Nana-san does.”

“Vongola mostly runs weapons and the skin trade, on top of their networking.” Gokudera said thoughtfully. “It’d be easy to keep weapons from too dirty hands, and the brothels are manageable if everything's kept consensual.”

“And you can keep other families in line just by being you, Tsuna.” Takeshi piped up, leaning forward. “I don’t think anyone would stay put when you’re whaling at them full stench.” Tsuna ignored that comment with a dignified flush, instead mulling over it all.

“Yeah.” They finally said. “It’s not like they have any other options besides me, right? So anything I do, they’ll have to put up with.” Tsuna smiled slowly, looking at them. “Make it into the Big Brother of famiglie.”

Hana smirked, while Kyoko pumped her fists giddily. “Loopholes at their finest, Sawada. It’s a good thing you’ll have us to make sure you don’t screw it up too badly.” There was some commiseration, Gokudera and Hana squabbling, before they grew serious again, turning their attention back to the bomber.

“My sister... Her name’s Bianchi. She’s always had a way with poisons, even when we were kids. I think her flames do something, make everything rot, but I’m not sure. But when I was a kid, I’d have piano recitals, and my father would force-feed me her food, since the audience loved the delirium-induced results. It’s made it so I can’t look at her without collapsing.” He wrapped an arm around himself, grimacing at some unseen memory.

“You’re saying your father intentionally poisoned you for  _ performances _ ?” Hana said incredulously.

“I think the psychological trauma and conditioning is the worst part, to be honest.” Tsuna commented nonchalantly. They smiled when Gokudera glanced at them and baulked. “For future reference, your sister isn’t going to be allowed in my home, Gokudera-kun.”

“That’s... Thank you, Tsuna-sama.” He sighed. “She’s probably here because of Reborn- she was obsessed with him, last I heard, and she may see you as an, er, obstacle to him.”

Tsuna tilted their head. “Well, let’s go to the man himself, then.”

* * *

Reborn, when he heard the news, pinched the bridge of his nose, and didn’t let go for at least a solid minute.

“Yes, that sounds in line with her.” He sighed, putting down the deck of cards he had in hand. The pile of chips went to a box, neatly piled. “I’ll talk to her; in the meantime, be wary of any food you didn’t prepare yourself.”

Word comes in later that night that there’s been an outpouring of food poisoning in the town. Tsuna sent Reborn a dubious look across the dinner table. The assassin sighed, and put down his fork, catching Nana’s attention.

“There happens to be a reason for them, actually.” He said carefully. Nana narrowed her eyes.

“Reborn.”

“A fellow assassin who has a bit of an obsession with me is under the assumption I will up and leave with her if she manages to kill Tsuna. She’s obviously mistaken, but it doesn’t stop her from trying and poisoning everyone in the crossfire in the meantime.” Nana’s anger was a very potent thing. Lambo at least seemed to understand this time that he wasn’t the target of it, even if he sunk into his chair a little.

“Could you give me a description? An accurate one?”

Bianchi’s caught within the evening and put tied and trussed at their dinner table, when Gokudera’s gone to bed and Lambo’s having fun in the bath. Reborn’s across from her while Nana and Tsuna sit at the sides. The woman looks appalled at having been caught. She obviously hasn’t heard of Namimori’s Yamato Nadeshiko.

“Bianchi. Could you explain  _ why  _ you are here?” Reborn’s displeased, Tsuna notes, frowning and tapping the nail of his thumb against his wrist. It’s a tic they’ve noticed, and one that shows just how  _ done  _ he is with outsiders barging in.

“To reunite us of course, dearest! If you hadn’t been sent on this assignment, we could still be together- the logical conclusion was just to make it so you wouldn’t have to worry about it anymore.” Nana makes a rude noise, lips drawing back as she watches the woman.

“You believe the best way to reunite with your ‘ _ dearest’  _ is by taking out the only heir to the largest crime group in Europe?” Bianchi frowns and pauses, like she hadn’t considered that. Because of course.

“Bianchi.” Reborn’s voice had gentled. “You realise that we’ve only run a few hits together? As compatible a partner you may be, you’re still seventeen, and I need to focus on training Tsuna before I consider elsewise.”

“Then why not remove him from the equation!” She bursts. “It would be so much simpler without him- and age doesn’t matter when it comes to love! I would have thought you knew that!” Tsuna can’t help it. They snort. The adults and teen focus on them, Bianchi’s face taking an insulted tinge. They give her a bland stare, cupping their chin.

“Are you even listening? He isn’t interested, and killing me isn’t a good idea. Frankly, even trying is painting a target on your back, one that won’t go away. The moment you leave this house, just about no one in Namimori is going to trust you, thanks to the stunts you pulled with your poisons and my pack.”

“Your pack?” Reborn’s voice sharpened. “Tsuna.” But the teen waved him off.

“Aa, Gokudera-kun has an adverse reaction to her, thanks to some past history. Although, actually talking to her, I’m sure some of it’s just plain emotion, too. I know it’d be painful to associate with someone like her, too.”

“How  _ dare _ you-”

“No, how dare  _ you _ . You come into our town, attempt to impose upon Reborn and endanger his mission and standing, and even harm some of mine. Frankly, you’re acting more immature than any of us, and we’re all under sixteen. The best you can do right now is leave this town, and never come back, Il Scorpione.” Tsuna’s smile stretched into a baring of teeth, and they pulled on some of that warmth that effused them nowadays, letting their eyes light. “ _ Please _ . Leave for your own good, ma’am.”

She goes quiet, shaken and pliant. Reborn takes hold of the situation then, untying her and having contacts lead her to the airport. They'll ensure she returns to Italy and stays there.

Gokudera asks how it went when they head upstairs. He’s respectful like that, not eavesdropping because he trusts his boss. They drag him into a hug and grin into his shoulder. Nothing to worry about, now.

* * *

They start fighting lessons two weeks into vacation. Nana leads them to a dojo in town, one of the older ones. It’s run by one of the Sasagawa family, they know, but they’ve never been inside. No need before this, obviously. It’s quiet when they head in, and there are only a few adults around. She guides them to a copper-haired man going through katas on a mat.

“Sasagawa-san?” Tsuna asks, surprised. The man looks up, blinking, before grinning widely.

“Tsuna-chan! No need to be so formal, I’ve known you since you popped out, for pete’s sake.” ...Oh?

“Ryouta-ji-san.” They amend. Ryouta grins wider.

“There we are! Now, from what Nana-chan and Reborn-san said, you’re looking to learn some defense while keeping to that no-bloodshed thing of yours?” Sure, let’s call not wanting to kill someone that, yeah. “Then you’ve come to the right place. Aikido is perfect for those wanting to incapacitate, not exterminate.”

“That’s... good.” They said. Ryouta huffed a laugh and glanced at Nana, who had settled onto a nearby bench and was smiling fondly at the two.

“It won’t be easy, you realise. Like with any art form, it’ll take dedication. But, knowing you, that won’t matter?” They shook their head. “Good. Then let’s get started with some basics.”

And so they did.


	10. Ryote Dori

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mmmmm so this is a while coming  
> here ygo my dudes full warning further updates may be slower than this on all my stories bc i might have a job soon, on top of my schooling

Tsuna looked at themself in the mirror. Twisted to one side with arms raised, watching the body  _ move _ , muscles flexing in places they didn’t before, softness giving way. Eyed the hair coming in, stretching across the chest. The angles suddenly there.

They swallowed and shoved their uniform on roughly. What they didn’t pay attention to wouldn’t hurt them.

* * *

“Ciao. Me chiamo Reborn. Come ti chiami?”

“Buongiorno, me chiamo Tsuna.”

“Chi sono ti?” Tsuna frowned, sounding out the unfamiliar syllables.

“Io sono i-il? Decimo della Vongola.” Too many l’s. This goddamn language. Reborn nodded approvingly though.

“Ben trovato. Io credo che lavoreremo benissimi.” He fiddled with Leon, the lizard transforming into a blade. “Cos’è questa? Sai cosa il tipo?”

“Un coltello. Io penso… il è un machete?”

“Io penso  _ che il sia _ un machete.” He corrected. “Ma si. Quel colore lo è?” And so it went, Leon switching between objects and Tsuna naming and describing them. The lesson was a familiar one, one Reborn had started once he realised something vital.

Tsuna learned by doing. It wasn’t obvious before the seal, because absolutely nothing would have helped them learn at that point, crippled as they were. But afterwards, with their grades on the rise, the most obvious spikes were in English and Japanese. It was strange, until he had observed them moving through their katas easily despite only starting a week and a half ago. Memorising was all well and good, but the thing that stamped across their mind best was trial and error, and feeling out the information themself. Ergo, this. It was going surprisingly well.

“Tu sei un buon studente, Tsuna.” The teen pinked at the praise, and it was a bit startling how just a bit of encouragement pushed them all the more forward. With Dino, it had been whining and complaining no matter what, so the best route was to just hit him until he shut up and did what was asked. With Tsuna, thanks to the bullying and isolation…

It was like watching a flower bloom facing the sun.

“Mamma ha bisogno di un assistente con cena. L’aiuta, per favore?” Tsuna visibly ran that through their head before nodding, trotting down the stairs. Nana’s voice rang out a moment later, and Reborn smiled at the noises of clanging and talking.

Honestly, this assignment was turning out to be one of the more pleasant ones.

* * *

“Mamma?” Nana looked up from her laptop, blinking at Tsuna. The teen was dressed for bed, and she could hear the noises that meant Hayato-kun was preparing for sleep himself. Her child stood fidgeting in her bedroom doorway, not quite looking in her direction. “Could I… talk to you?”

She set her computer aside, patting the quilt next to her. Tsuna sat carefully, hands twisting in their lap.

“What is it, Tsu-kun? Are you alright?” She pursed her lips. “Has something happened at school?” Tsuna shook their head vehemently.

“No! No, nothing like that, it’s so much better, I promise Mamma. It’s just…” They swallowed. “Reborn’s done a lot for us, hasn’t he? The. Helping with the Seal, and bringing up my grades. And introducing me to Gokudera-kun. And. Other stuff.”

Nana smiled at the thought of the hitman. He really had done quite a bit for their family at this point, bolstering Tsuna and providing support for Nana whenever the consequences of Iemitsu’s actions got to be a bit too much for her. Serving as a pillar that Masaru and Tsuyoshi couldn’t quite be, thanks to their own responsibilities. It had reached the point where she was guiltily grateful for Iemitsu’s decision to mark Tsuna as heir, if only because it had sent the man and the answers they needed to them.

Of course, she was still eviscerating the beta when she saw him, next. Nominating her baby for a fucking mafia family, what was he thinking?

“What about it, sweetie? Do you…” She considered the teen. “Do you want to do something for him?” The teen nodded, relieved that she had cottoned on quickly. “What?”

“Well,” They hedged, “That- looking like a creepy baby man isn’t normal, Kyouya and Fon-san confirmed that, and it must be. Not fun. Bad, to be like that, constantly. So I was thinking we could get one of those charms that Uncle uses when he’s trying to infiltrate rivals?”

“You mean a Mist construct?” Tsuna stared at her blankly for a moment.

“Is everything really just Flames?” She smiled in amusement and pat their hand.

“Most of the time, sadly. But, what brought this on? I won’t say it’s out of the ordinary for you to want to do something for others, but usually it’s not this spontaneous.” Tsuna drew back, tugging on a pants leg. Their face was closed off, and they slouched over themself slightly. 

“It’s, um. The- the feelings, my therapist talked about, they’re getting worse. And I hate the idea of anyone else going through that just because of some- some curse thing. And we can actually help  _ him _ , so I want to.” 

Nana sighed, and drew them into a hug. Tsuna’s head nestled in her shoulder, and she stroked their back comfortingly. “I’m sorry, Tsuna. I’ll look into Masaru getting one- it won’t be hard to recreate an illusion of his heyday.” And maybe look into one for their little cub, too. Masaru would agree instantly, with how wrapped around their finger, he was.

* * *

The new school term was no different from the last, students greeting each other and gushing about what they had done over the break, complaining about the crowded beach or relatives or what have you.

Tsuna sat with Gokudera-kun and Takeshi, fiddling with a pencil. They had… whaat, a month until their birthday? They were fourteen in a month, gods. That was surreal. It seemed like just yesterday they were botching a cake with their mother and sharing the disaster with Kyouya at school.

Although. Speaking of birthdays.

“When were you guys born?” Gokudera and Takeshi stop bickering, blinking at Tsuna. “I know the girls’ and Kyouya’s, but I don’t know yours.”

“Mine’s April twenty-fourth,” Takeshi said easily. Tsuna squinted at him, because wasn’t April when he brought all that dark stuff up-? But the boy’s easygoing expression made them not want to push it. They turned instead to Gokudera, who was… blushing?

“It’s not that important, is it Tsuna-sama? It’s- there’s not really a  _ point _ , to knowing, right-” Tsuna stared at him.

“Gokudera-kun. How close is your birthday?” The teen gnawed on the match in his mouth.

“Ah… Two weeks?” 

...

They leaned back, scratching at a cheek. “Well that’s no good. Kyoko-chan! Kurokawa! Over here!” The duo was  _ curious-amused _ as they grinned, wiggling their fingers and ignoring Gokudera’s weak protests. “We’ve got plans to make.”

* * *

Hayato was  _ overwhelmed. _

There were flowers, and weird fusions of Italian and Japanese dishes, and Tsuna-sama was in lacy, formal clothes he  _ knew  _ hadn’t been in their closet a month ago, and there were  _ gifts _ . He hadn’t received gifts since… Since he ran away.

Yamamoto had glued himself to the blond’s side the moment he showed up, and as much as Hayato would usually be annoyed at it, he was proving to be a buffer to distract people from talking to him. There weren’t that many people in the first place, only the girls, Sawadas, and Yamamotos there besides the mercenaries. 

Lambo slammed into his leg while he ran from I-pin, and Hayato bit back the automatic urge to yell at him, only scowling and jabbing at his piece of tiramisu.  _ Tiramisu. _ He had new earrings and books on explosives and cryptids and protective gloves and he was eating  _ tiramisu  _ like he was ten again and still had money to spend.

He wondered why everyone was putting this much effort in.

“It’s because we like you.” He startled, glancing up. Yamamoto was still sprawled along the couch, eyes glued on the scene across the room of Tsuna trying to fillet a salmon. “It’s weird for me too, people caring. But Tsuna likes you, and we like you, so we want to do this for you.”

“But that’s…” He scowled again. “Is it a civilian thing?” No one else in the mafia had certainly tolerated him. Yamamoto huffed, smile growing sharper.

“It’s an ‘us’ thing. Whoever had you before obviously didn’t take good enough care of you, so we’re going to.”

“That’s a bit territorial.” Hayato looked up. Kurokawa was chewing at a piece of fish, raised brow directed at the sportsman. “You sure you aren’t thinking with a knot, there?”

“Well, I  _ am  _ an alpha.” Tsuna paused in their mutilating of the fish corpse.

“Wait, you are? I didn’t realise any of us had actually presented.” They frowned. “Besides Kyoko-chan, I mean.”

“You didn’t hear everyone going insane over it last year? The whole team wouldn’t shut up about it.” Tsuna shrugged, grimacing and setting down the knife.

“I pretty much ignored everyone who wasn’t Kyouya or the girls. Plus you were kinda creepy.”

“Sawada. You’ve been friends with Hibari for years.”

“He’s violent, not creepy.” Kurokawa threw up her hands.

“ _ Whatever.  _ Point is, I would have never thought  _ you  _ were an alpha. Beta, maybe.” Yamamoto just shrugged, bumping Hayato’s shoulder.

“It’s never been important. Scents are stronger, sure, which is cool, but it’s not a big deal. Everything else is just kind of… nasty, y’know? There’s better stuff to focus on. Like baseball! Or swords!” 

“I’m not filling another hole in the wall, Takeshi. You want to practice, you head down to the cage.”

“But, dad-” Hayato wondered how the hell he ended up in this group. He ate some more tiramisu instead of contemplating it and slowly relaxed into the sofa.

* * *

On a chilly morning in September, Tsuna walked downstairs to find Uncle Masaru sitting at the dining table eating with their mother and Soichiro-san. They blinked, stopping in the doorway. Soichiro-san was calm, no distress or annoyance to be found, while their mother and Uncle were radiating an air of vicious contentment. That was… a strange mix.

“Ah, good morning, Tsuna-kun. How have you been?” Uncle Masaru smiled kindly, scars stretching with his grin. He reached out and hugged them when they were close enough, pulling them against his side. Tsuna basked in the contact before pulling away, shrugging, because the past six months were sort of. Completely insane. “I heard your grades have gone up.”

“A-Ah, yeah. Reborn and Gokudera-kun have been helping me with that.” They took a place, looking for the mentioned hitman. Nowhere to be found. “Why are you here, Uncle? I thought you were still dealing with the Kokuyo gangs.”

“Oh, we took care of those in May, Tsu-kun,” Nana butt in. “Masaru and Soichiro-kun were just going over the results of the investigation.”

“Of the school?” They felt a stone drop into their stomach. As well as it had turned out for them, the prospect of listening to how deep the… corruption, had spread, was unappealing. Viscerally. Nana picked up on it and pat their hand, smiling.

“Don’t worry about it, sweetie. Just know it’s been taken care of, now. Although you’re probably not going to get any new teachers, with how well the substitutes have been doing.”

“I wouldn’t say that- some of my best people are tied up in the schools right now,” Uncle said. He tugged on a lock of hair bemusedly. “It’s strange how a few of them have taken to it. With how violent they are, I would have thought they’d be begging to be taken off duty.”

“Everyone needs something that isn’t connected to the business.” Tsuna glanced over at the counter. At some point, Reborn had popped in, and was filling a mug. He took a sip and hummed in satisfaction. “Poker, horseback riding, anything that doesn’t need a knife and gun.”

“True, true. So you’re the fabled Arcobaleno training my cub?” He looked the small man up and down. “Sort of  _ odd  _ how you swooped in and managed to fix most everything.”

“Masaru.”

“No, Nana, it’s alright, I am encroaching on territory. Is it Hibari or Momo Kyokai, though?”

“The Momo Kyokai are a subsidiary of the Hibari family.” Soichiro-san spoke up for the first time. “They handle the illegal aspects of business in Namimori, Kokuyo, and surrounding villages.” Reborn inclined his head.

“Hibari territory, then. I swear to you that none of Tsuna’s problems were orchestrated as an attempt to gain a foothold; I’m only here to ease them into the position of Vongola Decimo.”

Uncle sighed, leaning back in his chair and passing a hand through his hair. “Lords above, I still can’t believe that, after all these months.” Tsuna snorted. They were living with it everyday, and they could hardly believe it. Reborn hopped over to the table, taking the last seat as he pat their mother’s hand, and it made Tsuna pause.

No. They weren’t, right? Uncle Masaru and Tsuyoshi-san were enough, weren’t they?

They thoroughly distracted themself from the idea in their mind with Gokudera’s entrance, plying the boy with food and review of the latest history lesson.

* * *

Tsuna breathed slowly, slipping into a deep calm as a tonfa came soaring at their face. They ducked at the last minute, twisting out of the way and grabbing one arm. Kyouya swung his other weapon, and the dance continued, the younger teen ducking and racing in to attempt hits on the raven’s person.

They huffed as Kyouya pushed them towards the railing, trying to grab one of his weapons as they leaned their weight against the metal. There was a groaning noise, and the two teens froze, Tsuna’s hindbrain screaming out in alarm. They barely had a moment to grab Kyouya’s arm, the boy instinctively pulling them close as the railing gave away behind them.

Tsuna watched it fall into the courtyard with wide eyes. “H- oly shit.”

“ _ Tsuna-sama!? _ ”

“I’m okay, Gokudera-kun!” They called, waving at the blond who had hurriedly stood. “Kyouya pulled me away in time. Although,” They glanced down at the wreckage again, “We should probably move spars somewhere safer, from now on?”

Kyouya grunted, and didn’t let go of them the rest of the lunch break. The next day, instead of dragging them to roof as was customary, the older boy lead them out to the courtyard, pausing under a Sakura tree.

“Kyouya, we can’t do it out  _ here _ ,” Tsuna hissed, glancing over at the rows of windows. Faces were already looking, and they wanted to shrink back, hide behind Kyouya or Takeshi or Kyoko, let them take the attention. “We’ll have the whole school watching by the end of the break.”

“So?” Kyouya blandly replied, because he had no concept of comfort zones, “The herds are harmless. Their opinions don’t matter.”

“ _ The scars on my back say otherwise _ .” 

“Oi, Hibari-senpai, is it really necessary? There’s always the baseball field,” Takeshi called out. Kyouya only glared at him for a split second before focusing back on Tsuna.

“Tsuna,” They jolted at the rare use of their name. “The herd is meaningless. Herbivores’ opinions are meaningless. They are not pack.”

“It’s not that simple, Kyouya-” They broke off, because the teen had apparently used all his patience and went on the offense. They had to jump back to avoid smashing their nose in on hard metal. “Kyouya!”

He doesn’t respond, doesn’t give them a chance to continue, keeping up his attacks as they continue to dodge and weave around him. At some point, their lips draw back in a snarl and their anger starts building. At some point, they grab him and haul him over their shoulder, managing to toss him before he twists and lands on his feet.

His smile is small, and it isn’t smug, which surprised them, distantly. They’re panting as he finally halts, tonfa disappearing into their holsters. He cocked his head, looking behind them, and jut his chin out.

“See? Meaningless.” 

They look behind themself. Windows are open, students are gaping, a mixture of  _ astonishment-awe-disbelief-amusement-fear-confusion _ . But the ones closest, meters away and resting on the benches, are mishmashes of  _ exasperation-amusement-pride-fondness _ , collective scent wafting off them and making the muscles in their back relax. Gokudera was writing something down in one of his notebooks, muttering to himself, Takeshi grinning next to him and watching the duo with sharp eyes. Kyoko, smiling slightly and wafting pride like a storm, Kurokawa shaking her head but amused still.

Tsuna… hadn’t noticed the attention at all. They knew, peripherally, that everyone must have been watching after that first glance, had known how their reactions would be, but the instinct to panic and hide had faded amidst the spar and presence of their pack. Paranoia had taken a backseat to dealing with Kyouya and staying close to the others. 

They wondered just when that override began. 

Kyouya brushed by them, shoulders bumping, and walked to the building at a sedate pace. “There are five minutes before the bell for fourth period,” He said as he opened the front entrance door, “Do not be late.”

Tsuna let Kyoko gently steer them back to the classroom. They ignored everyone who tried to talk to them and let Takeshi smile-threaten them away.

* * *

Tsuna squinted at the tiny metal… thing. It was small, only about the length of their thumb pad, steel basins inlaid with tanzanite, according to their mother. It was… surprisingly underwhelming, for something supposedly powerful.

Now, when to give it?

They. They could just give it to him. Say it was in thanks for everything. But that, it was, too direct maybe? The thought of just coming outright and saying everything like that was unappealing. It wasn’t how they interacted. Everything involving him was subtlety, praise or recrimination laid into eloquence, teasing and sarcasm hidden behind deadpan masks. He didn’t make things obvious, preferred to have Tsuna figure out, whether is was a lesson or the man’s own emotions. Tsuna bit their lip.

They grabbed their phone, pulling up a familiar number and ignoring pictures of horses to type out a message.

_ Do you know when Reborn’s birthday is? _

* * *

“Ryouta-jisan, did you ever… Deal with um. People harassing you?” The auburn-haired man paused on the mat where he was showcasing a new kata.

“What? Do you have shitheads bothering you? Kyoko told me the school was chill about all that.” Tsuna stared blankly at them for a moment before realising- oh,  _ oh _ , they thought it was about  _ them _ , the wibbly-gender thing.

“No! No, no one bothers me about that, they- they mostly just went after me because of my grades, and uhm, clumsiness. And… Personality…” They cleared their throat uncomfortably. “But. It’s stopped, since the. Investigation. It’s just…”

Ryouta sat back on his heels, contemplative. “The extremes have you reeling?” Tsuna made a face.

“I’m just… not used to not being  _ scared  _ all the time, or not wanting to hide. I was out in the courtyard a few days ago with everyone, and I was more worried about hitting Kyouya than I was about the people watching.” They laughed a little, scrubbing a hand through their hair. “Suddenly I’m more worried over whether or not Takeshi’s eaten, or if Kyoko’s being hit on again, or if I studied enough for the chemistry test. I’m not looking for the best hiding places, planning out what route I need to take home to be unpredictable, rationing out my bento because I know someone will try to take it. It’s- it’s-” The hand in their hair tightened, and they startled badly when a larger one grasped it gently, pulling it away from the strands. 

Ryouta sat cross-legged in front of them, face drawn. “I was the same,” He huffed, grimacing. “Two decades ago, it was more than a little difficult being the girl who was always too masculine and loud, standing out too much as a woman. When I came out, suddenly my behaviour was suddenly excusable as a boy going through his teen years. I went from having trash poured in my shoes and my things ruined and fucking, slurs, thrown at me, to suddenly being one of the guys, the one alphas would tail after, because I was a  _ feisty O-boy _ .” His lips drew back in a sneer. “Suddenly I was  _ normal _ .”

Tsuna stared. “That’s-  _ horrible _ . I- how did you deal with it?” Ryouta shrugged his shoulders.

“I was a violent shit who struck back whenever someone tried to pull shit on me. But when I wasn’t yelling and scaring off anyone who looked at me strange, I was being calmed down by Nana, and Ichiko. When they weren’t around, Makoto would distract me, or Soichiro would shut down both sides of the conflict.” He pressed at a bruise on his calf, smiling slightly. “The pack kept me stable.”

“But-” Tsuna stopped. Hunched over slightly. “Putting that much trust in a group is…”

“Hard.” Ryouta finished. “It’s hard, and you don’t know why it happened or how.” Tsuna nodded. “It’s not a bad thing, Tsu-kun. It’s a normal thing in society, and for good reason. Packs help keep people stable regardless of designation, and they usually don’t form and then disband. My and your mother’s, its members barely meet beyond our little communications and emails, but we’re still strong as ever despite the distance.”

“I know it’s a good thing,” They muttered, “It’s just. It’s hard to accept it’s happened to  me. It’s hard to really believe anyone but Kyouya and Mamma care that much. I know when we first realised, I was happy, but now...”

Ryouta clapped them on the back, pulling them up by the arm. “It’s difficult, and you’re scared. That’s understandable, Tsuna. Just keep in mind it’s not a bad thing and adjust at your own pace. Now,” They slipped back into position, flowing into the kata they had been demonstrating, “Keep your mind off it for now and watch me, because this one can be irritating.”

* * *

“Nana, Tsuna’s birthday is in a week, isn’t it?” The woman gave him a patient look. They both knew that he knew when their birthday was. It was just polite to ask. “Do you think they would be adverse to a more open celebration?”

“You want to introduce them to some of the underworld.” She said. He tilted his head.

“Only trusted individuals. Dino, some of my fellow Arcobaleno. It will help them acclimate.” She hmed, setting aside a report. The stack on her desk was a large thing, Momo Kyokai and Hibari alike sending in word of activities for her to review before sending to Ichiko and Soichiro. He wondered if she realised how alike her and Iemitsu were, in their duties. 

“I suppose they wouldn’t mind, considering how they’ve been messaging the boy over the past two months. And anyone you trust will be fine.” He leaned back in satisfaction, already drafting his messages to Lal Mirch and Colonello. Having the officers’ favour would make the transition in CEDEF smoother, and any dealings with Mafia Land easier in the long run. He’d contact Fon as well, if he didn’t know the martial artist would be attacked on sight by the Hibari pup.

“I’ve also been thinking, with what they’ve told me. Having a Mist ring would be beneficial, and it’s a non-permanent avenue they won’t need to wait years for.”

“...Reborn.” He grimaced.

“It’s painfully obvious they can’t manage their dysphoria with what’s at their disposal, and blockers aren’t an option before presentation. There’s no reported effects of using Mist flames on humans for long periods of time.”

“Reborn.” She shifted, turning to him fully. “How long have you been waiting to give it to them?”  _ Damn Sawadas. Are we sure she’s not the one descended from Giotto?  _ He pulled the small ring out of his pocket. It was a utilitarian iron, with a thread of indigo inlaid. He handed it to her, letting her examine it with a gimlet eye.

“I had it prepared the moment it became clear they weren’t consistently male-presenting,” He said. “A strong leader is a stable leader.” He paused, stroking Leon’s head contemplatively. “...There was also a bit of pity, at the beginning.”

“They weren’t doing well, no,” She agreed quietly. She slid the ring on her finger, and her features distorted, bust slightly larger and face softer, curves more prominent. Small things, that would make a noticeable difference on one lacking them. She smiled softly. “Thank you, Reborn. They’ll be ecstatic.”

He huffed. “They’re my student. It’s the least, I can do to ensure Tsuna reaches their full potential.” She laughed at him, shaking her head, and he could only blink as she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his temple.

“Regardless. Grazie mille, Reborn.”

(She thought of the piercing she had handed Tsuna just yesterday and wanted to laugh over how similar these two thought, despite their contrasting personalities.)

* * *

Nana blinked at Tsuna, setting down the cookie she had been nibbling on.

“His birthday is when?”

“The day before mine.” Tsuna shifted, rubbing at an arm. “Dino said that when he was teaching him, Reborn put him through this horrifying birthday party where Dino and his subordinates had to try and one-up each other with their gifts, and Reborn would decide who won on some points system.” Nana stared at them blankly. Tried to recall any mention of a birthday or unconventional training in the past few weeks.

“I… don’t think he’s planning that for you, Tsu-kun. He’s just going to have Dino and his friends show up,” She said. She frowned. “Although now I have to figure out what to make him for dinner. He should have said.”

“He likes coffee and spicy things? Maybe coffee cake and curry?” Tsuna suggested.

“Tsu-kun… That sounds…” She pursed her lips. “That might actually work. It’ll be a bit strange, with what I’m planning for yours, but I can make it work.” Tsuna gave her a thumbs up and wandered off. She heard the sound of Lambo’s shrieking laughter a minute later, and so went back to her reading, satisfied.

* * *

Reborn kept being surprised by his student. It was becoming routine, in a way.

Colonello snickered behind him as he stood in the doorway, and Reborn absently slammed him into the wall, ignoring his shouts as he walked into the living room. He had picked up the three from the airport, listening to the couple’s sniping and Dino’s polite questions the whole way back to the house. It had been a test of his patience, only alleviated by the driver’s own silence. 

He eyed the sweet peas decorating the end tables. Just how had they managed that in the middle of autumn? In Japan? There was a small cake on the table, and the Sawadas- which included Smokin’ Bomb, at this point- were frozen in activity, staring at him from their spots around the house where they were tidying up.

“You know, when I told you when his birthday was, I wasn’t expecting this.” Dino spoke up from the doorway, leaning past the Arcobaleni. “Are those sweet peas? Isn’t it October?”

“Anything is possible when people respectfully fear you,” Nana said tartly. The blond sent her a considering look, before seemingly agreeing and going over to hug Tsuna. “On that note, happy birthday, Reborn.”

“You didn’t tell us you wanted us here to celebrate your  _ birthday _ , kora. Are you getting soft in your age, you old geezer?” Colonello dodged when he struck out this time. Shame. 

“He didn’t tell us, signor, and it’d be good for your health if you stayed respectful in my home.” Nana said cheerfully. The intent radiating off her was at odds with her expression, and the marksman gave him a disbelieving expression. 

(He couldn’t say anything, of course, because Lal Mirch was just as bad, except she was also  _ Lal _ , and as far as Colonello had known Reborn’s tastes ran in the overly seductive direction.)

“Lal Mirch. I was at your wedding.” The small woman kissed the back of her hand when she stooped, alpha greeting to an omega, and nodded at Tsuna, who was watching the interactions with a bemused expression. “Met  _ you  _ when you were an infant. It’s been nice hearing you didn’t turn out like that buffoon.”

“I think we’re all relieved about that,” They replied drily. “A-anyways, who wants coffee cake? It’s kind of. Mangled. But it turned out okay and it’s not bubbling, so it’s one step up from some stuff I’ve seen.”

* * *

Alcohol had long been banned from the Sawada household, and so the mafiosi made due with weak juice and beer, complaining about recent group activities and discussing the weirdness of civilian life.

“It’s different, even in a hybrid house like this,” Reborn mused, tapping out a cigarette into the ashtray that had appeared at some point. “Violence is permitted, but with restrictions, and enemies can’t be shot on sight.”

“It lets you get more information!” Tsuna called from the patio. They were messing with something in their hands, turning it over and over. He’d ask them about it later.

“Kid has a point.”

“Kid also doesn’t like violence in the first place.”

* * *

The visiting mafiosi left around midnight, and Reborn was surprised to see Tsuna and Nana still up, even if the teen was dropping off by this point. They perked when they saw him enter the dining room, patting at their pockets frantically.

“It’s a school day, tomorrow,” He pointed out. The two only shrugged, Tsuna finally pulling something out of their many pockets.

“I’m used to little sleep, and I c’n function better on it, now. But, that’s not,” They paused in frustration, before holding out their hand, palm up. “Happy Birthday, Reborn.”

They had a small barbell piercing in their hand. He took it carefully, rolling it back forth, watching the light play on it.

“This is Mist conducive,” He said slowly. Nana smiled at him as Tsuna nodded enthusiastically, motioning him to.. Do something with it, they still weren’t sure exactly where he could put it?

Reborn, knowing what it actually was, unclipped the two ends from each other, sliding them into the unobtrusive holes by his left brow. They clicked into place, and there was the disorienting feeling of Mist flames blanketing him, eyesight shooting up a few feet and limbs suddenly switching to long, slender things he remembers from the seventies. He stood slowly, heading to the wash closet and looking in the mirror.

Renato Sinclair looked back. The scar from the mission in USSR-controlled Ukraine was missing, and his nose was too straight, his eyes white where the sclera had always been black, but it was his face staring back at him. He looked at Tsuna, hovering in the hallway nervously.

They squeaked when he chinned them. The  _ relief-happiness  _ coming off them was a miasma, and he gently pushed them up to bed as Nana watched by the stairs.

She drew him close when he approached, leaning in.

* * *

Tsuna hummed to themself, hurrying home through the rain. Takeshi had said his father needed help with something back at the shop, and Ha-Gokudera had been held back by one of the teachers for disciplinary action, so they were left to walk home by themself today. They’d probably see Kyouya at some point before the evening, if previous patterns held, and he’d show up with some ridiculous thing in tow and demand food.

They opened the door with a small smile, setting aside their things as usual. They walked into the living room, and stopped.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ciao. Me chiamo Reborn. Come ti chiami?” Hello. My name is Reborn. What is yours?  
> “Buongiorno, me chiamo Tsuna.” Good day, my name is Tsuna.  
> “Chi sono ti?” Who are you?  
> “Io sono i-il? Decimo della Vongola.” I am t-the? Tenth of the Vongola.  
> “Ben trovato. Io credo che lavoreremo benissimi. Cos’è questa? Sai cosa il tipo?” Well met. I believe we will work very well together. what is this? Do you know the type?  
> “Un coltello. Io penso… il è un machete?” A knife. I think... it is a machete?  
> “Io penso che il sia un machete. Ma si. Quel colore lo è?” I think that is a machete. But yes. What colour is it?

**Author's Note:**

> Come yell with me on tumblr!  
> thelennystorm.tumblr.com


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